In the market for a CT Scanner? One of the most important factors to consider is whether you will choose a system cooled by air or a system cooled by water. 
It takes a lot of electrical components in a CT Scanner gantry to emit and detect X-rays. As these components work, an immense amount of heat builds up. If that heat isn’t dissipated, it can generate enough heat to be hazardous to the functions of the CT Scanner, damage the components or cause malfunctions. That’s why it’s so important to prevent overheating with CT chillers to rapidly cool your scanner.
These chillers deal with cyclical loads, when the X-ray tubes within a CT Scanner power up intermittently. The cooling system you choose must be able to keep internal temperatures stable despite the load surge.
Sometimes the location your CT Scanner will be located will determine which system is right for you, especially if you are just replacing a cooler. However, if you are installing a new system, you might be able to choose between the two methodologies.
The experts at Atlantis Worldwide prepared this comparison of Air Cooled and Water Cooled CT Scanners to help you decide which is best for you.
Water-Cooled Advantages
- Does the room have inconsistent humidity and temperature control? A water-cooled unit will be affected far less by this than an air-cooled system. Why? Because the burden of cooling with an air cooled unit will fall on the air conditioning maintenance and energy costs. The HVAC contractor will be in charge of regulating the CT Scanner’s temperature.
- You don’t need additional HVAC accommodates for the room.
- A water-cooled CT scan room has far lower fan noise. It will run more quietly and warmer than with a comparable air-cooled room.
- As a rule, the inside of a water-cooled gantry is cleaner than that of an air-cooled unit. That’s because the air-cooled system uses many fans to pull dust, hair, etc. into the gantry.
- Water-cooled systems cost less than air-cooled systems.
Air-Cooled Advantages
- Air-cooled scanners usually have a smaller footprint than water-cooled units. If room size is an issue, this is a benefit.
- If your facility doesn’t have a ready water source like a cooling tower or plant chilled water system, it’s best to choose an air-cooled system.
- With an air-cooled system, you don’t have to worry about water quality. Water impurities can reduce the level of cooling performance, so maintenance is important. Because the components have to work harder, valves can wear out and fail. Component life is reduced because of higher and varying temperatures.
- Much of the downtime for water-cooled CTs is cooling system-related.
Talk To An Expert
Whether you install a water-cooled or air-cooled system, your room environment should meet or exceed the load, temperature and humidity specifications listed in your CT Scanner manual. To find out which type of cooler is best for you, talk to the experts at Atlantis Worldwide. Atlantis Worldwide has been helping clients with their CT, MRI and X-Ray choices for more than 30 years and would love to assist you.
Some blogs you may have missed:
- Should You Buy New Or Used X-Ray and CT Tubes?
- CT Scanner Artifacts- How Do I Correct Streaks?
- The Lowdown on CT & X-Ray Replacement Tubes
- Is Your CT Tube About To Fail?
- Free CT Resources
About the author: Vikki Harmonay
