X-ray Circuit

Notebook #6- Revised

Laura Ramirez
December 7, 2016
RTE 141
Professor Yost

Key:
Primary (low voltage) side: Red
Secondary (high voltage) side: Blue
Filament circuit: Purple
Complete basic circuit:
Primary (low voltage) side:
-Main power switch: turns the unit on/off it is connected to the main power for the facility.
-Circuit breakers: protect against short circuits & electrical shock
-Line Compensation: used to measure incoming voltage to imaging system, it is wired to the
autotransformer.
-Autotransformer: is between incoming line and exposure switch it controls kVp levels, it is the
first stop for power coming into imaging system, and determines voltage going to x-ray tube.
-Timer circuit: intended to end the exposure at an accurately measured, preset time.
(synchronous, Electric, mAs Timer are the three types of timers)
-Primary side of step-up transformer
Secondary (high voltage) side:
-Secondary side, step up transformer:
-mA meter: connected at the center of the secondary winding of the high voltage step up
transformer for safety. Increasing voltage decreases current.
-Rectifier bank: Convert AC power to DC power. Stepped up voltage from step-up transformer
converted to DC. Paired AC has an open path from each direction, clocks the negative portion of
AC cycle, Wastes of the energy, but protects the x-ray tube allowing current to flow through
tube in one direction.
-X-ray tube: this is where the x-rays are created.
Filament circuit:
-Step-down transformer 3-5 amps, 6-12 volts: reduces incoming voltage from autotransformer.
-Alter incoming line power to create thermionic emission.
-Receives voltage from autotransformer and separates circuit from kVp circuit.
-RT is selecting how much current is going to the Filament, the mA selector is attached to
autotransformer.
-Rheostat: Device that regulates current to filament.
-Additional compensators used to keep current stable.