13 K thermally coupled two-stage Stirling-type pulse tube refrigerator

A pulse tube refrigerator (PTR), without moving com-ponents in low temperature region, occupies a number of advantages, such as simplicity, reliability, long-life, low vibration and so on. This novel refrigerator is a potential substitute for the common cryocoolers (e.g. G-M coolers and Stirling coolers), capable of cooling infrared detectors and superconductive devices and liquefying cryogenic fluids. Multi-stage PTRs have been developed to attain a cooling temperature below 20 K and to s…     

Investigation on regenerator temperature inhomogeneity in Stirling-type pulse tube cooler

Regenerator is one of the most crucial components to pulse tube cooler (PTC) and thermoacoustic engine. As such regenerator is scaled up to high-power, the thermal and hydrodynamic communication transverse to the acoustic axis gets weaker and weaker. Under this condition, any unsymmetric factor could cause serious instability to the cooler or engine, which degrades their performance. Investigation has been carried out on a high-power two-stage thermal-coupled U-shape Stirling-type PTC. By detailed circumferential temperature measurements along the middle heat exchanger and second stage regen-erator, a kind of temperature inhomogeneity caused by unsymmetric pre-cooling effect of inter-stage thermal bridge was found in the lower part of the regenerator of the PTC. The temperature inhomoge-neity originating from the middle heat exchanger of the second stage regenerator amplified itself in the lower part of the regenerator and then internal streaming formed. The maximal radial temperature dif-ference could reach 30―40 K. Experimental results show that the temperature inhomogeneity intensi-fies with increased pre-cooling power and its direction can be reversed by changing the pre-cooling effect of the first stage PTC to heating effect by using external thermal load. This research shows that it is important to maintain the heating or cooling effects of heat exchangers uniform in high-power re-generative coolers and engines.     

斯特林型脉管制冷机中的回热器温度不均匀性研究

回热器是脉管制冷机和热声热机中的最关键部件之一. 当回热器由中小功率放大到大功率时, 其内垂直于声传播方向的热力和水力联系变弱. 在这种情况下, 任何的非对称因素都可能在制冷机或发动机的回热器内引发严重的不稳定性问题, 从而降低制冷机或发动机的性能. 对一台大功率二级热耦合U型斯特林脉管制冷机进行了实验研究, 通过对中间换热器和回热器周向温度分布进行测量, 发现了一种由级间预冷不对称性引起的回热器温度不均匀性. 观察发现, 回热器周向的温度不均匀性源于第二级回热器的中间换热器, 之后, 这个温度不均匀性在回热器中以内部直流的形式自行放大, 最大径向温差可达30~40 K. 在对第一级冷头外加热负荷并逐步增大热负荷直至把第一级的预冷效应转变为加热效应的过程中, 回热器内的温度不均性逐渐变弱, 最后其方向发生逆转. 本研究证明了在大功率回热式热机中保持换热器加热或冷却作用周向均一的重要性.