High voltage generator
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Citation:
Murphy A, Campos A, Weerakkody Y, High voltage generator. Reference article, Radiopaedia.org (Accessed on 16 Mar 2025) https://doi.org/10.53347/rID-52640
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52640
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At the time the article was created Andrew Murphy had no recorded disclosures.
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At the time the article was last revised Arlene Campos had no financial relationships to ineligible companies to disclose.
View Arlene Campos's current disclosures
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- High voltage generators
X-ray units require a high voltage generator to achieve the necessary power required of an x-ray tube. AC power will supply x-ray units with sinusoidal currents, resulting in 'peaks and troughs', limiting an x-ray tube to produce x-rays only half of the 1/60th of s second cycle.
A single-phase high voltage generator converts this AC power into a half or full wave rectified supply with a measure in the thousands of volts.
The half wave rectification results in a peak voltage that will dip to zero, reoccurring; this will consequently have an effect on the behavior of radiation produced and hence the name kilovoltage peak (kVp) was born.
The advancement of high voltage generators from single-phase to three-phase to constant potential generators have overcome this 'voltage ripple' creating a continuous, uninterrupted voltage. Modern x-ray units, which largely utilize, constant potential generators do not have 'voltage ripple' and consequently employ the term kV rather than kVp.
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References
- 1. Stewart C. Bushong. Radiologic Science for Technologists. (2013) ISBN: 9780323081351 - Google Books
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