Pulse tube cryocooler with axially-aligned components
AssigneeRaytheon Company
InventorsRyan Yates, Theodore J. Conrad, Brian R. Schaefer
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A pulse-tube cryocooler includes a compressor piston that is axially aligned with a pulse tube. The compressor piston is an annular piston that has a central hole around its axis. An inertance tube, connected to one end of the pulse tube, runs through the central hole in the compressor piston. The cryocooler also includes a balancer that moves in opposition to the compressor piston, to offset the forces in moving the compressor piston. The balancer may also be axially aligned with the pulse tube, the annular piston, and the inertance tube. The alignment of the compressor piston, the pulse tube, and the inertance tube aligns the forces produced by movement of fluid within the cryocooler.
Claims17
A cryocooler comprising:
- a pulse tube;
- a regenerator;
- and
- a compressor;
- wherein the compressor includes a compressor piston axially-aligned with the pulse tube, wherein movement of the piston pushes a working fluid through the regenerator and the pulse tube;
- and
- wherein the compressor piston is annular piston having a central hole therethrough.
A cryocooler comprising:
- a pulse tube;
- a regenerator;
- and
- a compressor;
- wherein the compressor includes a compressor piston axially-aligned with the pulse tube, wherein movement of the piston pushes a working fluid through the regenerator and the pulse tube;
- further comprising a balancer that is operatively coupled to the compressor piston to move in an opposite direction from the compressor piston, to balance forces produced by movement of the compressor piston;
- wherein the balancer is actively controlled;
- and
- wherein the balancer is operatively coupled to an actuator to move the balancer axially.
A method of operating a cryocooler, the method comprising:
- moving a compressor piston of the cryocooler by oscillating the compressor piston along an axis of the compressor piston that is co-axial with a pulse tube of the cryocooler;
- and
- compensating for movement of the compressor piston by oscillation of a balancer that is co-axial with the compressor piston and the pulse tube, along the axis;
- wherein the compensating includes adjusting movement of the balancer using feedback from a vibration sensor that senses vibration of the cryocooler, to actively control the balancer;
- and
- wherein the adjusting movement of the balancer includes perturbing, based on the feedback, a signal sent to a balancer actuator that drives the balancer.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.