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 perpendicular 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.

Abstract: There is disclosed a liquid cooled anode x-ray tube wherein the rotating anode is adapted for irradiation by an energy beam, and includes a heat exchange surface, said x-ray 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 perpendicular 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.