Low Weight Cryocooler For High Temperature Superconductor Antenna Cooling

Advanced anti-radiation missiles using large, high temperature superconducting antennas will require cryocoolers that can cool the antenna quickly with a minimum mass and volume penalty. We will develop a mixed gas Joule-Thomson (J-T) cryocooler with the load heat exchanger integral to the antenna substrate. The mixed gas J-T thermodynamic cycle is significantly more efficient than current single gas cycles, while retaining the simplicity of the J-T cycle. The integral load heat exchanger minimizes thermal distortion in the antenna, reduces thermal resistance to the antenna, and maximizes the cooling delivery to the antenna. We will prove the feasibility of the concept by (1) developing fabrication techniques for the integral load heat exchanger, (2) defining an optimized thermodynamic cycle design, (3) designing the components of the system to predict performance, mass, and volume, and (4) testing a scaled integral load heat exchanger (in the Option Phase). In Phase II we will fabricate and test a prototype of the cryocooler system, including the mixed gas J-T refrigerator and the integral load heat exchanger.