Raytheon RSP2 Cryocooler Low Temperature
Testing and Design Enhancements

R. C. Hon, C. S. Kirkconnell, and J. A. Shrago

Raytheon Space and Airborne Systems El Segundo, California, 90245, USA

ABSTRACT - The High Capacity Raytheon Stirling / Pulse Tube Hybrid 2-Stage cryocooler (HC-RSP2) was originally developed to provide simultaneous cooling at temperatures of 85 K and 35 K. During testing performed in 2008 it was demonstrated that this stock-configuration cryocooler is capable of providing significant amounts of heat lift at 2^nd stage temperatures as low as 12 K, and modeling indicated that minor changes to the 2^nd stage inertance tube / surge volume setup could yield improved performance. These changes were implemented and the cooler was successfully retested, producing >350 mW of heat lift at 12 K. A comprehensive redesign of the system has been performed, the result of which is a robust 2-stage cryocooler system that is intended to efficiently produce relatively large amounts of cooling at 2nd stage temperatures <12 K. This cryocooler, called the Low Temperature RSP2 (LT-RSP2) will be fabricated and tested over the next 12 months. This paper reports on the recently-completed test activities, as well as details relating to the system redesign. Expected performance, mass and packaging volume are addressed.

KEYWORDS: pulse tube, Stirling, aerospace, hybrid

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IEEE/CSC & ESAS EUROPEAN SUPERCONDUCTIVITY NEWS FORUM (ESNF), No. 10, October 2009.
On June 29, 2009, this manuscript was submitted for possible publication in “Advances in Cryogenic Engineering”