Adiabatic thermal regulator

A method of regulating a temperature of a gas using an adiabatic thermal regulator, the adiabatic thermal regulator comprising a body having an internal passageway and at least one stage defined along a length of the passageway, the stage including at least one expansion chamber and channel portions positioned upstream and downstream of the expansion chamber, the method comprising:

• introducing gas into the passageway at an upstream end of the body;
• flowing the gas through the stage;
• modifying a temperature of the gas via adiabatic or near-adiabatic compression and expansion as it flows through the stage;
• and
• receiving the gas from the passageway at a downstream end of the body;
• wherein the step of flowing the gas through the stage further comprises:
• compressing the gas through the channel portion positioned upstream of the expansion chamber;
• expanding the gas by flowing the gas into the expansion chamber;
• and
• flowing the gas through the channel portion positioned downstream of the expansion chamber.

A method of designing an adiabatic thermal regulator, the adiabatic thermal regulator comprising a body defining an internal passageway and at least one stage defined along a length of the passageway, each stage including at least one expansion chamber and channel portions positioned upstream and downstream of the expansion chamber, the method comprising:

• selecting a desired thermal effect to be imparted to a gas flowing through the passageway;
• determining a number of stages to be defined along the passageway based on the desired thermal effect;
• for each stage, selecting a volume of the expansion chamber;
• for each stage, selecting geometries of channel portions positioned upstream and downstream of the expansion chamber relative to the selected volume of the expansion chamber;
• and
• configuring the expansion chamber and channel portions such that gas flowing through the stage undergoes compression and expansion under adiabatic or near-adiabatic conditions.