SYSTEM-DESIGN OF ORIFICE PULSE-TUBE REFRIGERATOR USING LINEAR FLOW NETWORK ANALYSIS

A linear flow network model was developed for the system analysis of a n orifice pulse-tube refrigerator (OPT). The flow network analysis con siders the pressure as the electric voltage and the mass flow as the e lectric current. The linear governing equations for the flow network a re derived from the continuity and the momentum equations and are anal ytically solved simultaneously with the energy equation derived to acc ount for the thermal effect in the flow network. The thermal performan ce calculation can thus be greatly simplified by solving the equivalen t circuit of the OPT using a sinusoidal signal analysis. To minimize t he analytical errors, an equivalent pulse tube temperature (T) over ba r(ptm) was introduced with a weighting factor W-F which was determined experimentally. The linear flow network analysis provides a powerful tool for the system performance analysis of an OPT. (C) 1996 Elsevier Science Limited