Model for transient behavior of pulse tube cryocooler

摘要

This article describes an investigation of the transient behavior of a small (2.0 W at 85 K) pulse tube cryo-cooler operating at 120 Hz with an average pressure of 3.5 MPa, capable of relatively fast cool-down from ambient to about 60 K. In a series of experiments, the cold end temperature was measured as a function of time in a complete cool-down and subsequent warm-up cycle, with no heat load and different quantities of excess mass at the cold end. A transient heat transfer model was developed, that considers the effects of the cooling power extracted at the cold end and that of the heat gain at the warm end on the cool-down time. The heat gain factor was calculated from warm-up data, and found to be approximately the same for all experiments. Using the same model with cool-down data enables a determination of both the gross and net cooling power as functions of time, but more importantly - as functions of the cold end temperature. An expression was derived for the cold end temperature as a function of time for any amount of excess mass, including zero. The cool-down time of the "lean" cryocooler (with no excess mass) was found to be less than 50 s.