CRYOGENIC REFRIGERATION SYSTEMS

A NEW APPROACH TO CLOSED-CYCLE, CRYOGENIC COOLING WILL BE DEVELOPED USING A POLYMER-MEMBRANE-BASED, ELECTROCHEMICALLY DRIVEN CRYOSTAT THAT EMPLOYS OXYGEN AS THE TWO-PHASE WORKING FLUID IN A MODIFIED LINDE-HAMPSON, DOUBLE-EXPANSION CYCLE. THE CYCLE PERMITS THE USE OF ADVANCED MEMBRANES IN AN ELECTROCHEMICAL COMPRESSOR. IMPROVEMENTS IN SIZE AND COST BY A FACTOR LEAST TWO, WITH NO INCREASE IN COEFFICIENT OF PERFORMANCE, ARE PROJECTED. LIKE OTHER ELECTROCHEMICAL COMPRESSORS, THIS ELECTROCHEMICAL CRYOSTAT HAS NO MOVING PARTS. PHASE I ADDRESSES THE FEASIBILITY ISSUES SURROUNDING THE CRYOSTAT WITH AN EXPERIMENTAL INVESTIGATION OF BOTH ANIONIC AND CATIONIC CELL PERFORMANCE. AN APPROACH TO WATER MANAGEMENT FOR THE CRYOSTAT WILL BE ANALYTICALLY INVESTIGATED. A NEW APPROACH TO CLOSED-CYCLE, CRYOGENIC COOLING WILL BE DEVELOPED USING A POLYMER-MEMBRANE-BASED, ELECTROCHEMICALLY DRIVEN CRYOSTAT THAT EMPLOYS OXYGEN AS THE TWO-PHASE WORKING FLUID IN A MODIFIED LINDE-HAMPSON, DOUBLE-EXPANSION CYCLE. THE CYCLE PERMITS THE USE OF ADVANCED MEMBRANES IN AN ELECTROCHEMICAL COMPRESSOR. IMPROVEMENTS IN SIZE AND COST BY A FACTOR LEAST TWO, WITH NO INCREASE IN COEFFICIENT OF PERFORMANCE, ARE PROJECTED. LIKE OTHER ELECTROCHEMICAL COMPRESSORS, THIS ELECTROCHEMICAL CRYOSTAT HAS NO MOVING PARTS. PHASE I ADDRESSES THE FEASIBILITY ISSUES SURROUNDING THE CRYOSTAT WITH AN EXPERIMENTAL INVESTIGATION OF BOTH ANIONIC AND CATIONIC CELL PERFORMANCE. AN APPROACH TO WATER MANAGEMENT FOR THE CRYOSTAT WILL BE ANALYTICALLY INVESTIGATED.