Cryocooler

Home Technology Cryocooler

Cryocooler
"Cryocooler" is a refrigerator which can create ultra low temperature less than 123K (-150 ) where the gases
(He, H2, Ne, N2, O2, CH4, etc.) are liquefied. In the range of the cryogenic temperature, all materials have the
thermal, physical and mechanical properties differently at a higher temperature and even the superconductivity
phenomenon appears in some materials.

We, SuNam Co.,Ltd developed our core technologies such as Brayton Cryocooler with Turbo-expander which
creates the refrigeration effect through isentropic expansion process and Stirling Cryocooler with linear motor and
gas bearing.


Brayton Cryocooler
Brayton cryocooler is characterized by its excellence of the broad range of cooling temperature and high energy
efficiency by the application of Turbo-expander (turbine) which eliminates the loss of J-T(Joule-Thomson) valve
used in Linde-Hampson cryocooler. Also, it has the market competitiveness with its product reliability and long
service life as well as the advantage of lightness and small size because it has no reciprocating parts. As shown in
below PFD diagram, the product is composed of a compressor, an aftercooler, an oil removal system, a recuperator
which is a counter flow heat exchanger, a turbo-expander and a secondary heat exchanger which extracts cooling
effect. In a cold box the recuperator, the turbo-expander and the secondary heat exchanger are located. In case of
using a turbo compressor which does not use oil as lubricant, the oil removal system is not needed.

Process & Flow Diagram of Brayton Cryocooler


Turboexpander





Stirling Cryocooler
Stirling cooler is a refrigerator which utilizes the thermodynamic regenerative principle of Stirling engine invented
by Robert Stirling in 1817, and it was commercialized as Stirling cryogenic cooler in 1950s. As it has the highest
thermodynamic efficiency among cryocoolers and facilitates the fabrication of the system it has been widely used
from the small capacity to the large capacity. However, its analysis and design are difficult due to the complexity
of its operation phenomenon and it is not available for cryocooling below 10K temperature. The principle of
operation is shown in the figure of the two isothermal processes and two isovolumetric processes. As the heat
transfer takes place through the two isothermal processes, Stirling cooler has the ideal Carnot cooling efficiency in
principle.

Stirling Refrigeration Cycle