Refrigeration System with Integrated Heat Exchanger

In this Phase II SBIR project, Advanced Cooling Technologies, Inc. (ACT) and Northrop Grumman (NGC) will develop an advanced refrigeration system capable of cooling the Airborne Laser (ABL). The ABL presents some particularly difficult thermal management issues, including precise temperature control, rapid transients and high thermal loading. In the Phase I effort, an innovative compact heat exchanger design and thermal storage concept were demonstrated to reduce the mass of the baseline ABL refrigeration system by 35%, while also improving the system COP. Furthermore, the Phase I project demonstrated increased reliability through the reduction of plumbing connections, use of passive (non-moving) components and enhanced vapor management to the compressor. In Phase II, ACT and NGC will build upon the Phase I sub-scale demonstration by fabricating and testing full scale systems. The full scale refrigeration systems will meet all of the requirements necessary for integration into the ABL, including thermal performance, packaging, shock and vibration, and electromagnetic interference.