MicroElectro-Mechanical Systems (MEMS) Cryo-coolers

Many advanced space-based electronic systems critical to national security employ infrared detectors and optoelectronics that require very low temperature in order for them to achieve optimal performance. There are several methods that are currently beingpursed as MEMS cryo-coolers but none of which achieve the desired requirements. Thermoelectric cryo-coolers are reliable but have a very low efficiency, while a vapor-compression cycle is simply not reliable. A miniature Stirling cycle has a high heatremoval density but imposes a high control complexity, which reduces the system reliability. The objective of the Phase I study is to demonstrate the feasibility of a thermoacoustic refrigerator based on MEMS technology. The cryo-cooler system will behighly leveraged off components currently under development: a vertical comb-drive acoustic driver, and a low-loss curved resonant tube using gray-scale technology. This cooler's operational capabilities include significant advantages over the previouslymentioned devices: direct integration with low-temperature electronics, high reliability, long lifetime, high efficiency, and low vibration levels. These features and capabilities will significantly reduce the satellite power requirements, decrease overallweight, and greatly simplify cooling system integration. Efficient, integrated cooling of focal plane arrays and other spaced-based electronics, cooling of advanced electronics