Performance of the AIRS Pulse Tube Engineering Model Cryocooler

Abstract

TRW has designed, analyzed, built and tested an engineering model (EM) pulse tube cryocooler for the NASA Atmospheric Infrared Sounder (AIRS) instrument. The cooler provides 1.63 W cooling at 55 K while rejecting to 300 K for a mission life of 50,000 hours in space. In the AIRS instrument, two of these split configuration pulse tube coolers are integrated into a structure that supports the cold head vacuum vessel, the compressors, and the heat rejection system to provide a standby redundant cooler system. The key components of the EM cryocooler are a dual-opposed balanced compressor, an efficient pulse tube cold head, and efficient high-reliability drive electronics. This paper presents the cooler performance test data, delineates system weight, and describes input power, envelope, and vibration and temperature control.