Stirling-Type Pulse Tube Cryocooler with 1KW of Refrigeration at 77K

Abstract

A large capacity Stirling-type pulse tube cryocooler has been successfully developed by Praxair Inc. Performance testing of both the prototype and initial production models of the pulse tube cryocooler has verified a refrigeration capacity of 1kW at 77K using a 20kW dual-opposed pressure wave generator from CFIC Inc. These results were obtained using nitrogen subcooling test methods. The cryocooler design incorporates sophisticated geometry to successfully minimize streaming other and loss mechanisms which have limited the performance of previous large pulse tube cryocooler designs. The intended application of this unit is for the commercial HTS (High Temperature Superconductivity) market. The current design will be deployed for field testing in Columbus, OH where reliability performance will be measured in an operating HTS application.