Conveners
C4Or1D: Aerospace Coolers III: Electronics and Testing
- Bradley Moore (Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology)
- Ed Canavan
Several studies have demonstrated that Reverse Turbo-Brayton cryocoolers could be the next space cryogenic revolution, thanks to their capability to provide vibration-free remote cooling in the temperature range of 4 to 150K and for medium to high cooling powers. In this framework, Absolut System developed a Vibration-free 40-80K Reversed Turbo-Brayton cooler, work performed under contract...
Sumitomo Heavy Industries, Ltd. (SHI) supplies 4K-class and 1K-class cooler for space use. The 4K-class and 1K-class cooler consists of Joule-Thomson(JT)cooler and two-stage Stirling cooler as a pre-cooler . To improve cooling capacity of 4K-class and 1K-class cooler, we are developing the cooling capacity of two-stage Stirling cooler below 20K. The performance of the two-stage Stirling...
Northrop Grumman Space Park (NGSP) introduced the MiniCoolerPlus (MCP) to its family of pulse tube cryocoolers in 2019 and presented the details of its TRL6 qualification testing in 2022. The thermal mechanical unit (TMU) of the MCP is an extension of space-qualified pulse tube coolers, all of which are designed to provide a long life (ten-plus years) of delivering low-mass, high-cooling...
An Air Liquide large pulse tube cryocooler (LPTC) was parametrically performance tested for cold tip temperatures between 40 K and 200 K and heat rejection temperatures between 0°C and 40°C. The testing utilized a single off-the-shelf power supply to drive the compressor motors in parallel. The effect of compressor temperature and pulse tube inclination angle are also presented. In addition,...
Two Thales LPT9310-HP commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) cryocooler were parametrically performance tested for cold tip temperatures between 50 K and 250 K and heat rejection temperatures between 0°C and 40°C. Both coolers had identical transfer line configurations. The test results revealed unit-to-unit thermodynamic performance variation and are compared to test results of a COTS LPT9310 cooler...
Over the past 5 years, Ball Aerospace working with teammates that include Sunpower/Ametek, Iris, and SDL and sponsored by both internal and external customers, has developed a product line of low cost, low EFT, high capacity, high reliability cryocooler systems. A key element is the high efficiency, long life, low cost Sunpower cryocoolers. Specifically, the products include the DS-30, DS-10,...
To support the application of heritage aerospace coolers and modern tactical coolers to future mission architectures, Ball has developed the Modular Advanced Cryocooler Control Electronics (MACCE). This entirely new cryocooler electronics architecture is based on modularity and scalability in performance supporting a wide range of cryocoolers including 4K Hybrid Systems (J-T + Pre-Cooler),...
The explosion in earth and space observing satellite developments has led to a need for a broad range of cooling solutions for the associated imaging sensors. Cooling is generally provided by thermo-mechanical cryocoolers. Driving and controlling cryocoolers requires specialized power electronics that provide both power and control to the cryocooler, these electronics are called Cryocooler...
