Liquid cooled stationary anode tubes

Abstract

There is disclosed a liquid cooled stationary anode tube wherein the anode is adapted for irradiation by an energy beam, and includes a heat exchange surface, said tube includes means for providing a flow of coolant liquid to remove heat from said heat exchange surface by formation of nucleate vapor bubbles on said heat exchange surface, said liquid tending to include a viscous sublayer adjacent to said heat exchange surface, the improvement wherein said heat exchange surface includes at least one of: means for forming pressure gradients in said liquid having a component prependicular to said heat exchange surface to facilitate removal of said nucleate bubbles; and means for breaking up said viscous sublayer to facilitate removal of said nucleate bubbles, and wherein said heat exchange surface comprises a series of curved surfaces, each adjacent the next said curved surfaces being generally circular symmetric about the central axis of said anode and wherein septum members with corresponding curved surfaces, which may be split to permit positioning into close proximity to said heat exchange surface to provide desired coolant flow characteristics over the surfaces of the anode heat exchange surface, said septum members being bonded to axial structure elements that fasten to end members mounted on said anode whereby support is provided to said septum members, desired liquid flow patterns are obtained and rigidity is provided the hot, thin walled anode during operation thereby preventing collapse and obtaining minimal thermal stress through the anode wall.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.