Frequency tuned anode bearing assembly

1. An x-ray tube, comprising:

an anode configured to be rotated at an operating frequency; and

a bearing assembly configured to rotatably support the anode and tuned to a resonant frequency that is different than the operating frequency, the bearing assembly comprising:

a shaft to which the anode is coupled;

lower and upper bearing rings which cooperate with the shaft to define lower and upper races;

a spacer interposed between the lower and upper bearing rings;

a lower ball set disposed in the lower race and an upper ball set disposed in the upper race; and

a bearing housing configured to receive the lower and upper bearing rings, the lower and upper ball sets, the spacer, and a portion of the shaft.

2. The x-ray tube of claim 1 , wherein one or more of the following bearing assembly components is a tuned component: the shaft, the lower bearing ring, the upper bearing ring, the spacer, or the bearing housing.

3. The x-ray tube of claim 2 , wherein the shaft is a tuned component and is characterized by a first diameter immediately above and below the lower race and the upper race, and a second diameter along a section of the shaft interposed between the lower race and the upper race.

4. The x-ray tube of claim 3 , wherein the first diameter is approximately 0.79 inches, the second diameter is approximately 0.38 inches, and the section of the shaft interposed between the lower race and upper race is approximately 2.11 inches long.

5. The x-ray tube of claim 2 , wherein the shaft is a tuned component and is characterized by a first diameter along a first section of the shaft interposed between the lower race and the upper race, and a second diameter along a second section of the shaft interposed between the lower race and a rotor hub disposed at one end of the shaft, the first diameter being greater than the second diameter.

6. The x-ray tube of claim 1 , wherein the operating frequency is approximately 150 Hz and the resonant frequency is approximately 130 Hz.

7. An x-ray tube, comprising:

an evacuated enclosure;

an electron source disposed within the evacuated enclosure; and

an anode assembly at least partially disposed in the evacuated enclosure and tuned to a resonant frequency different than an operating frequency, the anode assembly including:

an anode positioned so as to receive electrons emitted by the electron source;

a bearing assembly rotatably supporting the anode, the bearing assembly comprising:

a shaft coupled to the rotor sleeve and the anode;

lower and upper bearing rings which cooperate with the shaft to define lower and upper races;

a spacer interposed between the lower and upper bearing rings;

a lower ball set disposed in the lower race and an upper ball set disposed in the upper race; and

a bearing housing fixedly secured to the evacuated enclosure and receiving the lower and upper bearing rings, the lower and upper ball sets, the spacer, and a portion of the shaft; and

a rotor sleeve to which the anode and a portion of the bearing assembly are coupled, the rotor sleeve being responsive to applied electromagnetic fields such that a rotational motion is imparted to the anode.

8. The x-ray tube of claim 7 , wherein one or more of the following components is a tuned component: the anode, the rotor sleeve, the shaft, the lower bearing ring, the upper bearing ring, or the bearing housing.

9. The x-ray tube of claim 8 , wherein the shaft is a tuned component and is characterized by a first diameter immediately above and below the lower race and the upper race, and a second diameter along a section of the shaft interposed between the lower race and the upper race, the second diameter being smaller than the first diameter.

10. The x-ray tube of claim 8 , wherein the shaft is a tuned component and is characterized by a first diameter along a first section of the shaft interposed between the lower race and the upper race, and a second diameter along a second section of the shaft interposed between the lower race and a rotor hub disposed at one end of the shaft for coupling the shaft to the rotor sleeve, the first diameter being greater than the second diameter.

11. The x-ray tube of claim 7 , wherein the operating frequency is approximately 150 Hz and the resonant frequency is approximately 130 Hz.

12. A method of manufacturing a bearing assembly, comprising:

selecting a desired operating frequency for the bearing assembly; and

tuning the bearing assembly to a predetermined resonant frequency that does not materially impair operation of the bearing assembly at the desired operating frequency, the tuning the bearing assembly comprising one or more of:

adding material to one or more components of the bearing assembly;

removing material from one or more components of the bearing assembly;

replacing one or more bearing assembly components comprising a first material with one or more bearing assembly components comprising a second material different from the first material;

modifying the geometry of one or more components of the bearing assembly;

changing the mass of one or more components of the bearing assembly; or

changing the center of gravity of one or more components of the bearing assembly.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein the desired operating frequency is approximately 150 Hz, and the predetermined resonant frequency is approximately 130 Hz.

14. The method of claim 12 , wherein tuning the bearing assembly involves an iterative process of modifying one or more components of the bearing assembly and testing the bearing assembly until a characteristic resonant frequency of the bearing assembly reaches the predetermined resonant frequency or is within a predetermined range of the predetermined resonant frequency.

15. The method of claim 12 , wherein prior to tuning the bearing assembly to the predetermined resonant frequency, the bearing assembly has one or more characteristic resonant frequencies that would materially impair operation of the bearing assembly at the desired operating frequency.

16. The method of claim 12 , wherein tuning the bearing assembly comprises modifying the geometry of a shaft of the bearing assembly to form a tuned shaft.

17. The method of claim 12 , wherein tuning the bearing assembly to the predetermined resonant frequency comprises taking one or more affirmative steps on the bearing assembly to produce a bearing assembly physical configuration having the predetermined resonant frequency.

18. An x-ray tube, comprising:

an anode configured to be rotated at an operating frequency; and

a bearing assembly configured to rotatably support the anode via a shaft that is tuned to a resonant frequency that is different than the operating frequency, wherein the shaft has a first diameter immediately above a lower race and below an upper race, and a second diameter along a section of the shaft interposed between the lower race and the upper race, the first diameter being different from the second diameter.

19. An x-ray tube, comprising:

an anode configured to be rotated at an operating frequency; and

a bearing assembly configured to rotatably support the anode via a shaft that is tuned to a resonant frequency that is different than the operating frequency, wherein the shaft has a first diameter along a first section of the shaft interposed between a lower race and an upper race, and a second diameter along a second section of the shaft interposed between the lower race and a rotor hub disposed at one end of the shaft, the first diameter being greater than the second diameter.