MAINTENANCE-AND-VIBRATION-FREE SOLID ELECTROLYTE CRYOGENIC COOLER

THE COOLING REQUIRED FOR THE PROPER OPERATION OF VARIOUS SENSORS AND INSTRUMENTS IS A KEY PROBLEM IN SPACE-BASED FACILITIES. A NOVEL CONCEPT HAS BEEN DEVELOPED AT LONE PEAK ENGINEERING BASED ON THE COMPRESSION OF A GAS TO HIGH PRESSURES USING A SOLID ELECTROLYTE COMPRESSOR. RAPID EXPANSION OF THE COMPRESSED GAS (JOULE-THOMSON EFFECT) CAN BE USED TO COOL SPACECRAFT INSTRUMENTS AND EQUIPMENT. SOME OF THE ADVANTAGES OF A SEC OVER MECHANICAL COMPRESSION INCLUDE NO MOVING PARTS AND THEREFORE NO MAINTENANCE AND NO VIBRATION, IMPROVED RELIABILITY, AND CLOSED LOOP OPERATION. DURING THIS PHASE I PROJECT, A SOLID ELECTROLYTE COMPRESSOR WILL BE DESIGNED, ASSEMBLED AND TESTED USING A ZIRCONIA SOLID ELECTROLYTE. THE FEASIBILITY OF COMPRESSING OXYGEN TO HIGH PRESSURES USING THE SEC WILL BE DEMONSTRATED IN PHASE I. NITROGEN COMPRESSION WILL ALSO BE DEMONSTRATED ONCE THE CONCEPT IS PROVEN FOR OXYGEN. THE PHASE I RESULTS WILL PROVIDE PRELIMINARY DESIGN INFORMATION FOR A WORKING PROTOTYPE SEC/JOULE-THOMSON COOLING SYSETM IN PHASE II. THE ULTIMATE RESULTS OF THIS RESEARCH WILL BE THE DEVELOPMENT OF COOLING SYSTEMS BASED ON THE SOLID ELECTROLYTE COMPRESSOR COMPRESSOR FOR SPACE APPLICATIONS.