Within the research project "Mobile single-stage pulse tube cooler with hermetic compressor drive" (project number MF 130012), a compact, robust and low-maintenance cryocooler was developed.
Possible applications for this cryocooler, e.g.,

• Cooling of mobile high-pressure tanks for storing fuels in cryogenic liquid or supercritical state (e. g. H₂ – cryogenic under high pressure)
• mobile cooling applications < –40°C in medical technology, transport of organic material or samples

The system has a simple and cost-effective design with the following advantages:

• Mobile use, supply voltage 12 V or 24 V, air-cooled
• Supply of cryogenic temperatures in the range 60...120 K
• Low maintenance and long-life, no moving parts in the cold part
• Programmable temperature curves via microcontroller-based control
• Low power consumption, in the range of 500 W
• Low space requirement, arrangement can be adapted
• Lower costs control through extensive use of commercial components

Figure 1 shows the experimental setup of the cryocooler in a specially adapted orifice double inlet configuration. With the use of a special valve control, 2 W cooling capacity at 77 K and 5 W at 90 K could be achieved. The lowest temperature reached with this single-stage configuration was 68 K. The temperature stability of the system was validated in a test lasting 100 h, see figure 2. In further investigations with a specially adapted compressor, even lower temperatures are to be achieved, down to 40 K.