Patent · US Expired

Pulse tube refrigerator

US5966942A · kind A · utility

14Cited by
12References
24Claims
0Family size

Inventor

Key dates

Filing dateNov 3, 1997
Grant dateOct 19, 1999
Priority date
Expiry dateNov 3, 2017

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC F)Mechanical Engineering; Lighting; Heating
  • CPC primaryF25B2309/1424
  • WIPO fieldMechanical elements
  • WIPO sectorMechanical engineering

Abstract

Fluidic devices, including constant-rotation double diodes and constant-rotation double vortex tubes, are disclosed with which to construct pulse tube refrigerators having diode loops, constant-rotation double diodes, constant-rotation double vortex tubes, and asymmetrical diode stacks. Present orifice pulse tube refrigerators use an orifice connected at the warm end of the pulse tube to a reservoir. The orifice and reservoir serve to control flows at the warm end of the pulse tube so that they are not in phase with flows at the cold end. Present heat exchangers at the warm end suffer inefficiencies due to heat-regenerative effects caused by return flows through the orifice. The fluidic devices disclosed herein create dynamic replacement orifices for pulse tube refrigerators that also serve as efficient heat exchangers and supercoolers with minimal regenerative characteristics.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.