Sub-10K High Efficiency Stirling/Pulse Tube Hybrid Cryocooler

West Coast Solutions (WCS) and Raytheon propose to leverage the existing, proven, high performance Raytheon Low Temperature Stirling / Pulse Tube Two-Stage (LT-RSP2) cryocooler as an extremely well-informed starting point to develop a new high capacity, sub-10 K linear cryocooler that takes advantage of the latest innovations at WCS and elsewhere in terms of regenerator technology and advanced modeling techniques. The resulting Sub-10 K (S10) Cryocooler will feature unmatched thermodynamic efficiency (>6.6% Carnot @ 10 K), and by utilizing the hybrid Stirling / pulse tube cold head arrangement, it will provide unique operational flexibility to efficiently operate over a wide range of temperatures. This combination makes the S10 Cryocooler the ideal cryocooler for 8-10 K applications (maybe lower) as well as the optimum upper-stage cooler for 4-6 K applications.