POWER SUPPLY UNIT

Abstract

Power supply unit, in particular for a sterilization device, comprising a housing, an electric system and an electric insulation system, wherein the electric insulation system comprises at least one insulation shield, wherein the electric system is located within the housing, and wherein the electric system has, during operation, zones that have different voltage distributions, wherein the housing comprises a plurality of areas, and wherein at least one area comprises the at least one insulation shield, wherein those areas which distance to a zone of the electric system which voltage distribution exceeds a first voltage threshold is below a minimum distance comprise at least one insulation shield.

Claims

1. Power supply unit for a sterilization device, comprising: a housing, an electric system and an electric insulation system, the electric insulation system comprising at least one insulation shield, the electric system being located within the housing, the electric system having, during operation, zones that have different voltage distributions, the housing comprising a plurality of areas, and at least one of the of areas of the housing whose distance to one of the zones of the electric system, is below a minimum distance being provided with the at least one insulation shield, the zone of the electric system being a zone whose voltage distribution during operation of the electric system exceeds a first voltage threshold.

2. Power supply unit according to claim 1, wherein the housing comprises at least one wall, and wherein the at least one insulation shield is arranged at and/or in the at least one wall.

3. Power supply unit according to claim 1, wherein the housing comprises at least one insert, and wherein the at least one insulation shield is arranged at and/or in the at least one insert.

4. Power supply unit according to claim 3, wherein the at least on insert is made of insulation material that provides electric insulation properties.

5. Power supply unit according to claim 1, wherein the at least one insulation shield is comprised of an insulation film wherein the at least one insulation shield is comprised of at least one layer of insulation film.

6. Power supply unit according to claim 1, wherein the different voltage distributions exceed different voltages thresholds, and wherein the insulations system provides different insulation levels according to the different voltage thresholds.

7. Power supply unit according to claim 5, wherein the insulation level is adjusted by a number of insulations shields and/or a number of layers of insulation film.

8. Power supply unit according to claim 1, wherein the insulation system comprises an insulation cap, wherein the insulation cap is adapted to insulate at least a zone of the electric system that exceeds a second voltage threshold.

9. Power supply unit to claim 1, wherein at least one insulation shield is arranged at and/or in the insulation cap.

10. Power supply unit according to claim 1, wherein the electric system comprises at least one voltage multiplier, wherein the at least one voltage multiplier comprises at least one zone that exceeds the first voltage threshold.

11. Power supply unit according to claim 1, wherein the housing is filled with an insulation medium.

12. Sterilization device for packaging material, the sterilization device comprising: an electron beam emitter and a power supply unit, the power supply unit comprising a housing, an electric system and an electric insulation system, the electric insulation system comprising at least one insulation shield, the electric system being located within the housing, and the electric system having, during operation, zones that have different voltage distributions, the housing comprising a plurality of areas, and the areas of the housing including at least one area located at a distance from a zone of the electric system that is below a minimum distance, the at least one area of the housing being provided with the at least one insulation shield, and the zone of the electric system being a zone whose voltage distribution during operation of the electric system exceeds a first voltage threshold.

13. Method to electrically insulate a power supply unit for a sterilization device, the power supply unit comprising a housing and an electric system, the electric system being located within the housing, the electric system having, during operation, zones that have different voltage distributions, the housing comprising a plurality of areas the method comprising: checking each of the zones to determine whether each of the zones exceeds a first voltage threshold; measuring a distance between each of the zones that exceeds a first voltage threshold and the areas of the housing; checking whether and/or which of the distances are below a minimum distance; and providing those areas of the housing that are located at a distance below a minimum distance from the zone with at least one insulation shield.

14. Power supply unit according to claim 1, wherein the housing is filled with a nitrogen insulation gas.

15. Power supply unit according to claim 1, wherein the at least one area of the housing is a first area, the housing including second areas located a distance greater than the minimum distance from the zone whose voltage distribution during operation of the electric system exceeds a first voltage threshold, the second areas of the housing being devoid of the insulation shield.

16. Sterilization device according to claim 12, wherein the at least one area of the housing is a first area, the housing including second areas located a distance greater than the minimum distance from the zone whose voltage distribution during operation of the electric system exceeds a first voltage threshold, the second areas of the housing being devoid of the insulation shield.

17. Method according to claim 13, further comprising not providing the insulation shield to areas of the housing that are located at a distance above the minimum distance from the zone.

Description

[0044] Additional aspects and features of the current invention are shown in the following description of preferred embodiments of the current invention with reference to the attached drawings. Single features or characteristics of respective embodiments are explicitly allowed to be combined within the scope of the current invention.

[0045] FIG. 1: shows a principle scheme that visualizes the idea of the invention;

[0046] FIG. 2: shows a further principle scheme of the idea of the current invention;

[0047] FIG. 3: shows a principle diagram of an embodiment of a power supply unit in a side view;

[0048] FIG. 4a: shows a top view of the preferred embodiment of the power supply unit shown in FIG. 3;

[0049] FIG. 4b: shows an inside of a first chamber of the preferred embodiment of a power supply unit as known from FIG. 3;

[0050] FIG. 5: shows a principle diagram of a further embodiment of a power supply unit in a side view;

[0051] FIG. 6: shows an insulation film according to one or more embodiments;

[0052] FIG. 7: shows an embodiment of an insulation cap in combination with at least one insulation shield.

[0053] Referring now to FIG. 1 a principle diagram of a housing 20 having walls 22 is shown. Housing 20 is divided into a plurality of areas 20. Within the housing 20 a zone 41 is located which exceeds a first voltage threshold. Three arrows indicate distances d between the zone 41 that exceeds a first voltage threshold and the housing 20 or the areas 20, respectively.

[0054] A sphere that surrounds the zone 41 indicates a minimum distance d.sub.min that must not be undergone. This means that the areas 20 of the housing 20 that have a distance d that is smaller than the minimum distance d.sub.min have to be provided with at least one insulation shield 62. This is shown in the lower part of FIG. 1, where two of the areas 20 are provided with the insulation shield 62.

[0055] The same applies to FIG. 2. The only difference compared to FIG. 1 is that a minimum distance d.sub.min is much bigger than that one shown in FIG. 1. As a consequence, the number of areas 20 that have to be provided with an insulation shield 62 is much bigger.

[0056] FIG. 3 shows an embodiment of a power supply unit comprising a housing 20 and a first chamber 25 as well as a second chamber 26. The housing 20 is formed by walls 22, wherein the walls 22 comprise a plurality of areas 20. The division into the plurality of areas 20 is not visualized. The first chamber 25 comprises a voltage multiplier 44, a high voltage measurement divider 403 and filament transformers and rectifiers 402. A high voltage part in the bottom part of the first chamber 25 of the voltage multiplier 44 is protected by a spark current limiter 441. A high voltage output connector 440 which is provided at a bottom end of the housing 20 or the first chamber 25, respectively, is adapted to be connected to an electron beam emitter (not shown).

[0057] The above mentioned components form an electric system 40 or are parts of the electric system 40. In this case, the electric system 40 forms generally two zones 40, wherein a first zone 41 that exceeds a first voltage threshold is insulated by an insert 24 that is provided with an insulation shield 62. Preferably, the insulation shield 62 is a 25 to 40 kV insulation shield. A second zone 42 that exceeds a second voltage threshold is insulated by a further insert 24 and a further insulation shield 62 that is arranged in the insert 24 or between the first and the second insert 24, respectively. This insulation shield 62 is preferably an 85 to 100 kV insulation shield. In general, the electric system 40 comprises power electronic components, high voltage components and control system components. According to one or more embodiments the power electronic components are located within the second chamber 26. The same applies to the control system components. Preferably, the high voltage components are arranged within the first chamber 25, wherein the first chamber 25 and the second chamber 26 are both filled with insulation medium 80, in particular insulation gas, such as nitrogen. According to a preferred embodiment the insulations gas is also dried and pressurized, e. g. up to 2.5 or 3 bar above normal pressure.

[0058] FIG. 4a shows a top view along the axis A of the power supply unit as shown in FIG. 3. The housing 20 is seen from above, wherein the first chamber 25 and the second chamber 26 are separated by a dotted line. FIG. 4a just shall indicate a sectioning A-A which is explained in FIG. 4b.

[0059] FIG. 4b shows the sectioning A-A as explained in FIG. 4a. The sectioning refers to the embodiment shown in FIG. 3. Two voltage multipliers 44 are shown within the first chamber 25. The first chamber 25 is filled with the insulation gas 80, such as nitrogen. The high voltage output connector 440 as well as the spark current limiters 441 are already known from FIG. 3. In this sectioning, the inserts 24 as well as the insulation shields 62 between the housing wall and the electric system within the housing can be seen from a different point of view. However, the arrangement is the same as the one shown in FIG. 3.

[0060] FIG. 5 shows a further embodiment of a power supply unit. The power supply unit comprises also a housing 20 that is divided in a first chamber 25 and a second chamber 26. The housing 20 comprises a wall 22 that comprises a plurality of areas 20. Thus, the main features concerning the housing 20 are the same. However, an electric system 40 is slightly differently arranged. A voltage multiplier 44 comprises two sections that are connected by an interconnection board 404. In other words, the sections are circuit boards, wherein the upper circuit board comprises 4 to 5 multiplier stages that are adapted to multiply an input voltage up to 80 or 90 kV. The lower circuit board comprises preferably two further multiplier stages that are adapted to multiply the voltage form the upper circuit board up to 115 kV or, according to one or more embodiments, even up to 150 kV. Between the lower circuit board of the high voltage multiplier 44 and the interconnection board 404, a spark current limiter 441 is arranged. According to one or more embodiments, the last two stages of the voltage multiplier 44 that are located on the lower circuit board are potted with an electric insulation material. The same applies to the spark current limiter 441. Doing this, the electric insulation properties can be further increased which means that the risk of surface leakage, corona and arc discharges can be further minimized.

[0061] The insulation material for potting is preferably epoxy. Epoxy has very good insulation properties and provides very good corona suppression if operating time under electromagnetic field is relatively short. This applies to the spark current limiter 441. Epoxy can be used in applications with relatively low field and low heat dissipation. This applies to the last multiplier stages on the lower circuit board due to the usage of an insulation shield 62. As already known, the housing 20 comprises a high voltage output connector 440 that is adapted for a connection with an electron beam emitter (not shown). Preferably, the housing 20 is filled with an insulation gas 80. The first chamber 25 can be filled as well as the second chamber 26. Similar to the embodiment shown in FIG. 3, the first chamber 25 comprises high voltage measurement dividers 403 and filament transformers and rectifiers 402. A (first) zone 41 of the electric system 40 that exceeds a first voltage threshold is insulated by an insert 24 that comprises an insulation shield 62. This insulations shield 62 is preferably performed as a 30 to 50 kV insulation shield. A (second) zone 42 of the electric system 40 that exceeds a second voltage threshold is electrically insulated by an insulation cap 68 and a further insulation shield 62 that is arranged at the insulation cap 68. As already explained, the (second) zone 42 is mainly formed by the lower circuit board of the voltage multiplier 44 and the spark current limiter 441. Preferably, the insulation shield 62 that insulates the lower circuit board is a 85 to 100 kV insulation shield. The insulation shield 62 that is arranged at the insulation cap 68 is also covered by a further insert 24.

[0062] FIG. 6 shows an insulation shield 62 in a view along an axis A. The axis A corresponds to a direction of an axis A as for example shown in FIG. 3. The insulation shield 62 is formed by layers 66 of insulation film 64 that is wound around the axis A. Three layers 66 of insulation film 64 are formed by the insulation film 64.

[0063] FIG. 7 shows an embodiment of an insulation cap 68 in combination with at least one insulation shield 62. The insulation cap 68 is surrounded by an insulation shield 62 that is formed by a plurality of layers 66 of insulation film 64. The material of the insulation film 64 is preferably polyethylene. The same applies to an inside insulation shield 62 of the insulation cap 68 that is formed by a plurality of layers 66 of insulation film 64. In addition, the insulation cap 68 is also provided with an insert 24 that is preferably made of polyethylene. The insulation cap 68 is provided with a hole that is adapted to arrange a high voltage output connector (not shown in FIG. 7).

REFERENCE NUMERALS

[0064] 20 housing [0065] 20 area [0066] 22 wall (of the housing) [0067] 24 insert [0068] 25 first chamber [0069] 26 second chamber [0070] 40 electric system [0071] 40 zone [0072] 41 zone of an electronic component that exceeds a first voltage threshold [0073] 42 zone of an electronic component that exceeds a second voltage threshold [0074] 44 voltage multiplier [0075] 440 high voltage output connector [0076] 441 spark current limiter [0077] 402 filament transformer and rectifier [0078] 403 high voltage measurement divider [0079] 404 interconnection board [0080] 62 insulation shield [0081] 64 insulation film [0082] 66 layer [0083] 68 insulation cap [0084] 80 insulation medium, insulation gas [0085] A axis [0086] d.sub.min distance