Performance of a Highly Integrated Micro Linear Stirling Cooler with Active Vibration Cancellation

Abstract

Abstract In order to meet the requirements of weight, vibration, and size in the field of infrared imaging, Lihan Cryogenics has developed a lightweight and compact free-piston Stirling cooler. The cooler weighs 265g and includes a built-in electronic controller and active balancer. The system comprises a gas-bearing moving magnet compressor and a low-temperature rod-less displacer, are arranged in-line to have axial symmetry (SymCoolTM). This is also designed to be IDCA (integrated dewar cooler assembly) optional to meet industry-standard. Furthermore, an active vibration controller is developed to reduce vibration, utilizing an active motor on the same axis as the compressor piston to offset vibrations. The refrigeration performance is experimentally tested under different heat dissipation and cold head working temperatures. The test results show that the cooler acquires 0.5W cooling capacity at 77K with 12.6W power consumption, and the power consumption of the active vibration controller is less than 3W.