Helium 2 Cooling Systems for Long Term Missions in Space: Phase Separation and Hybrid Cooling Systems Helium-2-Kuehlsysteme MIT Langen Standzeiten fuer Weltraumanwendungen: Phasentrennung, Hybrid-Kuehlsysteme

摘要

The suitability of helium 2 (superfluid helium) phase separation and hybrid cooling systems for astronomical and aeronomical observations in space, e.g., infrared radiation, was studied. The different aspects of phase separation under conditions of weightlessness are treated and the active phase separator for a liquid helium cooled infrared observatory for Spacelab, German Infrared Laboratory (GIRL) is described. For long-term (more than one year) applications, a hybrid cooling system is required in which refrigerants boiling at higher temperatures are employed. The suitability of hydrogen and neon were investigated as well as that of a secondary solid refrigerant. Analysis indicates that such a hybrid cooling system, using solid neon, can be realized and has substantial advantages compared with a one-stage He 2 cooling system.