Abstract
The performance of a pulse tube expander in which the regenerator volume is distributed among three parallel tubes arranged symmetrically around the pulse tube has been experimentally investigated. This “4-tube” expander configuration, which was recently patented by Raytheon Systems Company (formerly Hughes Aircraft), is of interest because it has structural advantages over the more common U-tube design. The improved strength of the 4-tube design permits reduced wall thickness, higher allowable side loads, and related design and system integration advantages. Furthermore, the 4-tube expander does not have the problem of conductive coupling between the regenerator and pulse tube, which is a source of lost refrigeration capacity in the traditional concentric configuration, a competing rigid expander design. Experiments were performed with and without the regenerator tubes linked by conductive straps, and the expander was shown to work more efficiently with the straps. The data reveal that the thermodynamic efficiency of the 4-tube expander is comparable to that of the more common pulse tube expander configurations.
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© 2002 Kluwer Academic Publishers
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Kirkconnell, C.S. (2002). Experimental Investigation of a Unique Pulse Tube Expander Design. In: Ross, R.G. (eds) Cryocoolers 10. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/0-306-47090-X_28
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/0-306-47090-X_28
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