Low Cost PC Based Real-Time Dynamic Terrain

Not Available Pulse tube cryocoolers are the cutting edge of regenerative cryocooler development. Their simplicity, ruggedness and reliability recommend them over older technology. Innovative improvements (the double inlet, the inertance tube) have brought orifice pulse tube cooler performance into the range of Stirling and Gifford-McMahon coolers. Double inlets and inertance tubes improve phasing of flows at the warm end of a pulse tube. However, both double inlets and inertance tubes are bulky and, in some respects, balky. The double inlet approach requires careful calibration of the bypass flow between compressor and pulse tube. DC flow is possibe, and common. The double inlet does not always work well, or at all. Inertance tubes work well only with relatively large pulse tube coolers running at relatively high speeds. Efficiency of all regenerative coolers remains far below Carnot limits and much more improvement is possible. This proposal applies the magnetocaloric effect to modify flow phasing of a pulse tube cryocooler. It offers a compact, simple improvement with no moving parts.