| PROPOSAL NUMBER: | 05 S4.03-9359 |
| SUBTOPIC TITLE: | Cryogenic Systems for Sensors and Detectors |
| PROPOSAL TITLE: | 4 Kelvin Cooling with Innovative Final Stage of Multistage Cryocooler |
SMALL BUSINESS CONCERN
(Firm Name, Mail Address, City/State/Zip, Phone)
Sunpower, Inc.
182 Mill Street
Athens ,OH 45701 - 2627
(740) 594 - 2221
PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR/PROJECT MANAGER
(Name, E-mail, Mail Address, City/State/Zip, Phone)
Kyle B. Wilson
wilson@sunpower.com
Sunpower, Inc., 182 Mill Street
Athens, OH 45701 -2627
(740) 594 - 2221
TECHNICAL ABSTRACT (LIMIT 200 WORDS)
Proposed for development is a proof-of-concept prototype for the final stage of a multistage cryocooler. This final stage comprises a high frequency pulse tube cold head that cools from an intermediate temperature of 10?20 K down to below the critical temperature of helium (5.2 K) using an alternate approach compared to conventional technology. This approach offers unique advantages that have never before been explored and will allow us to achieve high thermodynamic efficiency with compact size, using ordinary helium as the working fluid. The first and second stages that will eventually pre-cool the third stage cold head can be either existing commercial Sunpower Stirling cryocoolers or pulse tube technology now under development. If the third stage cold head proves successful all the pieces will be in place for developing a compact, efficient and reliable cryocooler.
POTENTIAL NASA COMMERCIAL APPLICATIONS (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
NASA would benefit from a compact, efficient and reliable multistage cryocooler capable of cooling sensors for deep-space missions as envisioned under the NASA Advanced Cryocooler Technology Development Program (ACTDP) or pre-cooling adiabatic demagnetization refrigerators designed to achieve temperatures below 1 K.
POTENTIAL NON-NASA COMMERCIAL APPLICATIONS (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
Non-NASA commercial applications include cooling superconducting microelectronic circuits at 4.5 K, as envisioned by Hypres, Inc. for digital communication devices, cooling superconducting magnets in Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) machines in the medical field and as a substitute for liquid helium systems or bulky Gifford-McMahon coolers in scientific instruments.
| NASA's technology taxonomy has been developed by the SBIR-STTR program to disseminate awareness of proposed and awarded R/R&D in the agency. It is a listing of over 100 technologies, sorted into broad categories, of interest to NASA. |
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TECHNOLOGY TAXONOMY MAPPING
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Architectures and Networks
Cooling Data Input/Output Devices Fluid Storage and Handling Instrumentation Large Antennas and Telescopes Microwave/Submillimeter Thermodynamic Conversion |