Inductor for high frequency and high power applications

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10916369-B2
Application number	US-201716337164-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 8, 2017
Priority date	Nov 8, 2016
Publication date	Feb 9, 2021
Grant date	Feb 9, 2021

Abstract

The present invention relates to an inductor (10) for high frequency and high power applications. The inductor (10) comprises at least one wire conductor (20), and a coil zone (30). Windings of the at least one wire conductor comprises the at least one wire conductor being wound around the coil zone to form a substantially torus shape centred around an axis extending in an axial direction of the torus shape. At an outer extent of the coil zone, outer windings of the at least one wire conductor are substantially at a first radial distance from the axis. At an inner extent of the coil zone, inner windings of the at least one wire conductor are substantially at a second radial distance from the axis and substantially at a third radial distance from the axis respectively. When an inner winding of the at least one conductor is at the second radial distance the next inner winding of the at least one conductor is at the third radial distance.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An inductor for high frequency and high power applications in X-ray generation, comprising:
at least one wire conductor forming a plurality of windings that include a plurality of inner windings and a plurality of outer windings;
a coil zone;
wherein the windings are wound around the coil zone to form substantially a torus centered around an axis extending in an axial direction of the torus;
wherein at an outer side of the coil zone the outer windings are substantially at a first radial distance from the axis;
wherein at an inner side of the coil zone the inner windings are substantially at a second radial distance from the axis and substantially at a third radial distance from the axis, such that when one inner winding of the plurality of the inner windings is at the second radial distance, an adjacent inner winding of the plurality of the inner windings is at the third radial distance and is in contact with the one inner winding of the plurality of the inner windings that is at the second radial distance;
wherein the coil zone comprises an air gap, and wherein at least one winding is taken through the air gap.

2. The inductor according to claim 1 , wherein at the inner side of the coil zone the windings are formed as pairs of windings, wherein a radial line from the axis that extends through a first winding of a pair of windings substantially extends through a second winding of the pair of windings.

3. The inductor according to claim 1 , wherein the first radial distance is substantially twice an average of the second and third radial distances.

4. The inductor according to claim 1 , wherein a structure, positioned within the air gap, has at least one support that is configured such that the at least one winding that is taken through the air gap is supported by the at least one support.

5. The inductor according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one conductor comprises a first wire and a second wire, and wherein the windings are formed from the first wire and the second wire.

6. The inductor according to claim 5 , wherein the windings are formed as pairs of windings, and wherein a first pair of windings comprises the first wire at the second radial distance and the second wire at the third radial distance, and a second pair of windings adjacent to the first pair of windings comprises the first wire at the third radial distance and the second wire at the second radial distance.

7. The inductor according to claim 5 , wherein the winding of the first wire is taken through the air gap, and the winding of the second wire is taken through the air gap.

8. The inductor according to claim 1 , wherein connection terminals for the at least one conductor are positioned adjacent to one another.

9. The inductor according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one conductor comprises Litz wire.

10. The inductor according to claim 1 , wherein the inductor is arranged in a high power generator for use in X-ray generation.

11. An apparatus for generating X-rays, comprising:
an X-ray source; and
a power supply comprising a high power generator that includes an inductor for high frequency and high power applications in X-ray generation, the inductor comprising:
at least one wire conductor forming a plurality of windings that include a plurality of inner windings and a plurality of outer windings;
a coil zone;
wherein the windings are wound around the coil zone to form substantially a torus centered around an axis extending in an axial direction of the torus;
wherein at an outer side of the coil zone the outer windings are substantially at a first radial distance from the axis;
wherein at an inner side of the coil zone the inner windings are substantially at a second radial distance from the axis and substantially at a third radial distance from the axis, such that when one inner winding of the plurality of the inner windings is at the second radial distance, an adjacent inner winding of the plurality of the inner windings is at the third radial distance and is in contact with the one inner winding of the plurality of the inner windings that is at the second radial distance;
wherein the coil zone comprises an air gap, and wherein at least one winding is taken through the air gap.

12. A method for generating X-rays, comprising:
providing an X-ray source; and
providing a power supply comprising a high power generator that includes an inductor for high frequency and high power applications in X-ray generation, the inductor comprising:
at least one wire conductor forming a plurality of windings that include a plurality of inner windings and a plurality of outer windings;
a coil zone;
wherein the windings are wound around the coil zone to form substantially a torus centered around an axis extending in an axial direction of the torus;
wherein at an outer side of the coil zone the outer windings are substantially at a first radial distance from the axis;
wherein at an inner side of the coil zone the inner windings are substantially at a second radial distance from the axis and substantially at a third radial distance from the axis, such that when one inner winding of the plurality of the inner windings is at the second radial distance, an adjacent inner winding of the plurality of the inner windings is at the third radial distance and is in contact with the one inner winding of the plurality of the inner windings that is at the second radial distance;
wherein the coil zone comprises an air gap, and wherein at least one winding is taken through the air gap.

13. A non-transitory computer-readable medium having one or more executable instructions, which, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform a method for generating X-rays, the method comprising:
providing an X-ray source; and
providing a power supply comprising a high power generator that includes an inductor for high frequency and high power applications in X-ray generation, the inductor comprising:
at least one wire conductor forming a plurality of windings that include a plurality of inner windings and a plurality of outer windings;
a coil zone;
wherein the windings are wound around the coil zone to form substantially a torus centered around an axis extending in an axial direction of the torus;
wherein at an outer side of the coil zone the outer windings are substantially at a first radial distance from the axis;
wherein at an inner side of the coil zone the inner windings are substantially at a second radial distance from the axis and substantially at a third radial distance from the axis, such that when one inner winding of the plurality of the inner windings is at the second radial distance, an adjacent inner winding of the plurality of the inner windings is at the third radial distance and is in contact with the one inner winding of the plurality of the inner windings that is at the second radial distance;
wherein the coil zone comprises an air gap, and wherein at least one winding is taken through the air gap.

Assignees

• Koninklijke Philips Nv

Inventors

• Sattel Timo Frederik
• Woywode Oliver
• Radvan Jens
• Vollertsen Christian Willy

Classifications

• H01F27/2823

  Wires (H01F27/2866 takes precedence) · CPC title

• H05G1/10

  Power supply arrangements for feeding the X-ray tube {(supply circuits with converters in general H02M; supply circuits for emitters and amplifiers H04B1/16 - H04B1/1623)} · CPC title

• H01F5/02

  wound on non-magnetic supports, e.g. formers · CPC title

• H01F27/2895 Primary

  Windings disposed upon ring cores · CPC title

• H01F37/005

  without magnetic core · CPC title