A pulse tube refrigerator using an integrated water-cooled heat exchange module

Abstract

The present invention discloses a pulse tube refrigerator using an integrated water-cooled heat exchange module, comprising a compressor, a regenerator, a pulse tube, a water-cooled heat exchange chamber, and a gas reservoir. The compressor is connected to the post-stage heat exchanger of the regenerator, the cold-end heat exchanger of the regenerator is connected to the cold-end heat exchanger of the pulse tube, and the hot-end heat exchanger of the pulse tube is connected to the gas reservoir via an inertia tube. The post-stage heat exchanger, inertia tube, water-cooled heat exchange chamber, and gas reservoir constitute an integrated water-cooled heat exchange module. The inertia tube is tightly attached to the outer surface of the post-stage heat exchanger, the water-cooled heat exchange chamber wraps around the post-stage heat exchanger and the inertia tube, and a gap is left between the inner surface of the water-cooled heat exchange chamber and the inertia tube. The gas reservoir surrounds the water-cooled heat exchange chamber to form a coaxial structure. The present invention can enhance the heat dissipation and phase adjustment capabilities of the inertia tube while taking into account the high compactness of the system, thereby improving the efficiency of the pulse tube refrigerator and meeting the needs of different application scenarios.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the field of pulse tube refrigerators, and in particular to a pulse tube refrigerator using an integrated water-cooled heat exchange module. Background Art

[0002] Pulse tube refrigerators, with their lack of moving parts at low temperatures, offer high reliability, compactness, long life, low cost, and ease of manufacturing, making them widely used in fields such as cryogenic medicine, semiconductors, and aerospace. The development of pulse tube refrigerators has been primarily driven by advances in phase modulation and miniaturization technologies, with various types emerging, including basic, pinhole, bidirectional air intake, dual-piston, four-valve, and inertia tube. Because the expansion work at the hot end of the pulse tube can only be dissipated as heat in the phase modulator, efficiency is low, and in many specific applications, strict requirements are placed on the size of the pulse tube refrigerator. Therefore, optimizing the phase modulation and miniaturization technologies of pulse tube refrigerators has become a current research focus.

[0003] For example, Chinese patent publication CN118442720A discloses an integrated pulse tube refrigerator, comprising a refrigerator cold finger, a piston-type phase-shifting mechanism, two main drive mechanisms, and a gas connection mechanism. The two main drive mechanisms and the piston-type phase-shifting mechanism are coaxially arranged, while the refrigerator cold finger is perpendicularly positioned relative to the mechanism. This results in a simple and compact overall system with minimal losses in the connecting pipes. This achieves the goals of refrigerator integration, compactness, and high efficiency, facilitating coupling with cooled devices. Furthermore, the piston-type phase-shifting mechanism provides phase adjustment, resulting in a wide phase adjustment range, compact structure, and precise phase adjustment angles, contributing to the high efficiency of the pulse tube refrigerator.

[0004] Chinese patent publication CN119022498A discloses a pulse tube refrigerator using a water-cooled inertia tube reservoir. The refrigerator comprises a pulse tube, a hot-end heat exchanger, and a water-cooled inertia tube reservoir, all connected in sequence. The water-cooled inertia tube reservoir includes a water-cooled heat exchange chamber, an inertia tube, and a reservoir. The chamber encloses the inertia tube and reservoir, with a gap between the inner surface of the chamber and the reservoir. The inertia tube is connected to the hot-end heat exchanger and reservoir at both ends, respectively. This ensures timely removal of heat from the inertia tube reservoir, enhances the tube's phase modulation capability, and improves the efficiency of the pulse tube refrigerator.

[0005] In specialized applications, a highly compact pulse tube cooler design is crucial to accommodate space constraints. However, existing pulse tube cooler designs often neglect heat dissipation from the inertia tube. This can lead to elevated ambient temperatures and, in turn, weaken the tube's phase modulation capability. Currently, the primary solution to this heat dissipation issue involves adding a separate water-cooling module to the pulse tube cooler's post-stage heat exchanger. However, this approach not only increases system complexity but also reduces the overall compactness of the structure. For an inertia tube pulse tube cooler, a portion of the acoustic energy generated at the hot end must be converted into heat and dissipated in the inertia tube gas reservoir. The inertia tube's phase modulation performance is closely related to the viscosity and density of the gas. As temperature increases, gas density decreases, which in turn weakens the tube's phase modulation capability. Therefore, to maintain efficient operation of an inertia tube pulse tube cooler, precise temperature control is essential to ensure that the gas density and viscosity remain within the optimal range to maintain the tube's phase modulation performance.

[0006] Therefore, it is urgent to design a pulse tube refrigerator structure to enhance the heat dissipation and phase modulation capabilities of the inertia tube while taking into account the high compactness of the system to meet the needs of different application scenarios. Summary of the Invention

[0007] The present invention provides a pulse tube refrigerator using an integrated water-cooled heat exchange module, which can enhance the heat dissipation and phase adjustment capabilities of the inertia tube while taking into account the high compactness of the system, thereby improving the efficiency of the pulse tube refrigerator and meeting the needs of different application scenarios.

[0008] A pulse tube refrigerator using an integrated water-cooled heat exchange module, comprising a compressor, a regenerator, a pulse tube, a water-cooled heat exchange chamber and a gas reservoir;

[0009] The compressor is connected to the post-stage heat exchanger of the regenerator, the cold-end heat exchanger of the regenerator is connected to the cold-end heat exchanger of the pulse tube, and the hot-end heat exchanger of the pulse tube is connected to the gas reservoir through an inertia tube;

[0010] The post-stage heat exchanger, inertia tube, water-cooled heat exchange chamber and gas reservoir constitute an integrated water-cooled heat exchange module; wherein, the inertia tube is tightly fitted to the outer surface of the post-stage heat exchanger, the water-cooled heat exchange chamber wraps the post-stage heat exchanger and the inertia tube, and a gap space is left between the inner surface of the water-cooled heat exchange chamber and the inertia tube; the gas reservoir surrounds the water-cooled heat exchange chamber to form a coaxial structure.

[0011] Preferably, the water-cooled heat exchange chamber is provided with two flow channel openings on the side walls close to the top and the bottom, respectively, for realizing two water circulation modes of water flow: upward inflow and downward outflow, and downward inflow and upward outflow.

[0012] Furthermore, the two flow channel openings near the top and the two flow channel openings near the bottom each include a water inlet and a water outlet; wherein, the water inlets at the top and bottom are on the same side, and the water outlets at the top and bottom are on the same side, so that the water flows obliquely during the process of inflow and outflow and inflow and outflow, thereby enhancing the water flow disturbance and improving the heat exchange capacity.

[0013] Furthermore, by regularly switching between the two water circulation modes, the water flows up and down in the water-cooled heat exchange chamber to form a periodic alternating circulation of water flow, ensuring that every part of the post-stage heat exchanger and inertia tube is cooled in a timely manner.

[0014] The heat exchange mode between the gas reservoir and the water-cooled heat exchange cavity is heat conduction and heat convection. The heat released by the high-temperature gas inside the gas reservoir is transferred through the outer wall of the heat exchange cavity and exchanges heat with the cold fluid, ensuring that the gas reservoir can achieve rapid and effective heat dissipation.

[0015] When only one water flow circulation direction is used, the water will gradually take away heat when flowing in the heat exchange chamber, causing the water temperature to gradually rise when approaching the outlet, generally higher than the inlet water temperature, thereby reducing the heat exchange between the water flow and the part of the inertia tube near the outlet, causing a temperature gradient to form in the inertia tubes near the inlet and outlet respectively, affecting the phase adjustment ability of the inertia tube.

[0016] By switching between the two water circulations at regular intervals, the water flow can be flushed up and down in the water-cooled heat exchange chamber to form a periodic alternating cycle of water flow, that is, after a period of time, it switches to top in and bottom out, and after a period of time, it switches to bottom in and top out, so that every part of the inertia tube and the post-stage heat exchanger can get timely heat dissipation.

[0017] In the present invention, the water-cooled heat exchange chamber is cylindrical, tightly enclosing the inertia tube and the post-stage heat exchanger. Preferably, the shape of the water-cooled heat exchange chamber can be designed according to the shape of the gas reservoir to adapt to changes in different structures.

[0018] Preferably, the inertia tube is coiled and attached to the outer surface of the post-stage heat exchanger and contained in a water-cooled heat exchange cavity. Water flows in and out of the water-cooled heat exchange cavity to flush the inertia tube and the post-stage heat exchanger back and forth, removing heat.

[0019] The inertia tube can be a copper tube with a smooth outer surface. Preferably, the inertia tube adopts a finned copper tube or other structure that can increase the outer surface area, thereby increasing the heat exchange area and improving the heat exchange efficiency, thereby strengthening the heat exchange between the inertia tube and the water flow and taking away the heat of the inertia tube more quickly.

[0020] The gas reservoir surrounds the water-cooled heat exchange cavity, forming a coaxial structure with the water-cooled heat exchange cavity, and conducts heat exchange through the outer wall surface of the water-cooled heat exchange cavity.

[0021] The surface of the water-cooled heat exchange chamber can be smooth. Preferably, the outer wall of the water-cooled heat exchange chamber can be finned or otherwise structured to increase the surface area. The water-cooled heat exchange chamber is made of stainless steel, preferably copper, which has high thermal conductivity and strong heat transfer capacity.

[0022] Compared to existing technologies, the water-cooled heat exchange module of this invention solves the problem of inertia tube temperature rise caused by delayed dissipation of acoustic energy at the inlet of the inertia tube within the inertia tube and the air reservoir. Furthermore, by placing the inertia tube and post-stage heat exchanger within a single water-cooled module, the system is not only more compact but also eliminates the need for a water-cooled module, reducing system costs and overall energy consumption. Specifically, it offers the following advantages and benefits:

[0023] 1. The present invention can promptly remove the acoustic power at the inlet of the inertia tube in the form of heat, thereby preventing the temperature of the inertia tube from rising and causing a weakening of the phase modulation capability.

[0024] 2. The present invention adopts a water-cooled heat exchange chamber with two water inlets and two water outlets. By switching the water inlets at regular intervals, water can be alternately circulated in an upward inflow and downward outflow or downward inflow and upward outflow manner, so that each part of the inertia tube and the post-stage heat exchanger can obtain timely heat dissipation.

[0025] 3. In the water-cooled heat exchange chamber of the present invention, the inertia tube is coiled around the wall of the post-stage heat exchanger. On the one hand, this ensures a compact structure and realizes direct contact heat exchange between the inertia tube and the post-stage heat exchanger and water, resulting in a strong heat exchange capacity. The indirect contact heat exchange between the gas reservoir and the water-cooled heat exchange chamber enables heat to be taken away in a timely manner. On the other hand, the inertia tube, the post-stage heat exchanger and the gas reservoir share a cold source, eliminating the need to provide a separate water cooling module for the post-stage heat exchanger and the inertia tube, thereby reducing the cost and total energy consumption of the system.

[0026] 4. In the water-cooled heat exchange cavity of the present invention, the inertia tube is coiled on the wall of the post-stage heat exchanger, and the air reservoir surrounds the water-cooled heat exchange cavity. While cooling the inertia tube, the water flow can also take away the heat in the air reservoir, thereby avoiding weakening the phase adjustment ability of the inertia tube due to the increase in the air reservoir temperature.

[0027] 5. The present invention has a simple structure and can be applied to linear, U-shaped, and coaxial pulse tube refrigerators. Compared with traditional pulse tube refrigerators that solely use a gas reservoir inertia tube for phase adjustment, the present invention integrates the inertia tube, post-stage heat exchanger, and gas reservoir, improving compactness while also enhancing the system's phase adjustment capability. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0028] In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention, the following briefly introduces the drawings required for use in the description of the embodiments. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of the present invention. For ordinary technicians in this field, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative work.

[0029] Figure 1 This is an overall structural diagram of a pulse tube refrigerator using an integrated water-cooled heat exchange module according to the present invention.

[0030] Figure 2 Schematic diagram of the water-cooled heat exchange chamber and gas reservoir in the present invention.

[0031] Figure 3 Schematic diagram of the inertia tube coiled on the surface of the post-stage heat exchanger in the present invention.

[0032] Figure 4 Schematic diagram of the position of the flow channel opening in the present invention.

[0033] In the figure: 1-compressor, 2-post-stage heat exchanger, 3-regenerator, 4-cold-end heat exchanger, 5-pulse tube, 6-inertia tube, 7-water-cooled heat exchange cavity, 8-gas reservoir. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0034] The present invention will be described in further detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and examples. It should be noted that the following examples are intended to facilitate understanding of the present invention and do not have any limiting effect on the present invention.

[0035] like Figure 1 As shown, a pulse tube chiller using an integrated water-cooled heat exchange module includes a compressor 1, a post-stage heat exchanger 2, a regenerator 3, a cold-end heat exchanger 4, a pulse tube 5, an inertia tube 6, a water-cooled heat exchange cavity 7, and an air reservoir 8. The inertia tube 6 is tightly wrapped around the outer wall of the post-stage heat exchanger 2, and the air reservoir 8 surrounds the water-cooled heat exchange cavity 7, forming a coaxial structure.

[0036] In the present invention, by providing the water-cooled heat exchange chamber 7, the problem of the inertia tube temperature rising caused by the untimely dissipation of acoustic power at the inlet of the inertia tube in the inertia tube and the air reservoir is solved, thereby avoiding weakening the phase adjustment capability of the inertia tube.

[0037] Specifically, if Figure 2 As shown, the integrated water-cooled heat exchange module consists of a post-stage heat exchanger 2, an inertia tube 6, a water-cooled heat exchange chamber 7 and an air reservoir 8. The water-cooled heat exchange chamber 7 contains the inertia tube 6 and the post-stage heat exchanger 2, and the air reservoir 8 surrounds the water-cooled heat exchange chamber 7 in a coaxial structure. A certain gap is left between the inner wall of the water-cooled heat exchange chamber 7 and the post-stage heat exchanger 2 and the inertia tube 6 for water circulation to remove heat.

[0038] The water-cooled heat exchange chamber 7 is cylindrical and tightly encloses the post-stage heat exchanger 2 and the inertia tube 6. The shape of the water-cooled heat exchange chamber can be designed according to the shape of the gas reservoir to adapt to changes in different structures.

[0039] like Figure 3 As shown, two flow channel openings are respectively provided near the top and bottom sides of the water-cooled heat exchange chamber 7, which serve as the inlet and outlet of the circulating water.

[0040] like Figure 4 As shown, when only the upper flow channel A and lower flow channel D of the water-cooled heat exchange chamber 7 are opened, water flows in from the upper portion of the water-cooled heat exchange chamber 7, directly contacts and exchanges heat with the post-stage heat exchanger 2 and the inertia tube 6, and then flows out from the lower portion, forming a top-in, bottom-out water flow cycle. When only the lower flow channel C and upper flow channel B are opened, water flows in from the lower portion of the water-cooled heat exchange chamber 7, directly contacts and exchanges heat with the post-stage heat exchanger 2 and the inertia tube 6, and then flows out from the upper portion, forming a bottom-in, top-out water flow cycle.

[0041] When the water flow is switched between upward inflow and downward outflow and downward inflow and upward outflow in a timely manner by any method in the present invention, the water flow can be alternately circulated in the water-cooled heat exchange chamber 7 in the manner of upward inflow and downward outflow and downward inflow and upward outflow, so that each part of the post-stage heat exchanger and the inertia tube can obtain timely heat dissipation.

[0042] like Figure 4 As shown, as an embodiment, the inertia tube 6 is coiled around the outer surface of the post-stage heat exchanger 2. In this case, the inertia tube 6 can be a copper tube with a smooth outer surface, or the post-stage heat exchanger 2 and the inertia tube 6 can be equipped with fins to increase the heat exchange area and improve the heat exchange efficiency, thereby strengthening the heat exchange between the post-stage heat exchanger 2, the inertia tube 6, and the water flow, and more quickly removing heat from the post-stage heat exchanger 2 and the inertia tube 6. In specific applications, the post-stage heat exchanger 2 and the inertia tube 6 can also adopt other structures that increase the outer surface area of ​​the copper tube, which can strengthen the heat exchange between the post-stage heat exchanger 2 and the inertia tube 6 and the water flow, allowing the heat from the post-stage heat exchanger 2 and the inertia tube 6 to be removed in a timely manner.

[0043] The surface of the water-cooled heat exchange chamber 7 can be smooth, or the outer wall of the water-cooled heat exchange chamber 7 can be a fin structure or other structure that can increase the surface area. The material of the water-cooled heat exchange chamber 7 can be stainless steel or copper, which has high thermal conductivity and strong heat exchange capacity.

[0044] In summary, the pulse tube cooler's phase adjustment mechanism in this invention utilizes an integrated water-cooled heat exchange module to promptly remove heat from the post-stage heat exchanger, inertia tube, and gas reservoir. This enhances the inertia tube's phase adjustment capabilities, improves the efficiency of the pulse tube cooler, enhances overall compactness, and reduces system cost and energy consumption. To ensure uniform heat dissipation from the inertia tube, the integrated water-cooled heat exchange module utilizes two water inlets and two water outlets, creating a periodic, alternating cycle of water that flushes the post-stage heat exchanger and inertia tube, ensuring that every bit of heat in the post-stage heat exchanger and inertia tube is promptly dissipated.

[0045] The embodiments described above provide a detailed description of the technical solutions and beneficial effects of the present invention. It should be understood that the above are only specific embodiments of the present invention and are not intended to limit the present invention. Any modifications, supplements and equivalent substitutions made within the scope of the principles of the present invention should be included in the scope of protection of the present invention.

Claims

1. A pulse tube refrigerator using an integrated water-cooled heat exchange module, characterized in that: It comprises a compressor (1), a regenerator (3), a pulse tube (5), a water-cooled heat exchange chamber (7) and a gas reservoir (8); The compressor (1) is connected to the post-stage heat exchanger (2) of the regenerator (3), the cold-end heat exchanger of the regenerator (3) is connected to the cold-end heat exchanger of the pulse tube (5), and the hot-end heat exchanger of the pulse tube (5) is connected to the gas reservoir (8) via the inertia tube (6); The post-stage heat exchanger (2), the inertia tube (6), the water-cooled heat exchange chamber (7) and the gas reservoir (8) constitute an integrated water-cooled heat exchange module; wherein the inertia tube (6) is tightly fitted on the outer surface of the post-stage heat exchanger (2), the water-cooled heat exchange chamber (7) wraps the post-stage heat exchanger (2) and the inertia tube (6), and a gap space is left between the inner surface of the water-cooled heat exchange chamber (7) and the inertia tube (6); the gas reservoir (8) surrounds the water-cooled heat exchange chamber (7) to form a coaxial structure.

2. The pulse tube refrigerator using an integrated water-cooled heat exchange module according to claim 1, characterized in that: The water-cooled heat exchange chamber (7) is provided with two flow channel openings on the side walls close to the top and the bottom, respectively, for realizing two water circulation modes: water flow in from top and out from bottom, and water flow in from bottom and out from top.

3. The pulse tube refrigerator using an integrated water-cooled heat exchange module according to claim 2, characterized in that: The two flow channel openings near the top and the two flow channel openings near the bottom each include a water inlet and a water outlet; wherein the water inlets at the top and bottom are on the same side, and the water outlets at the top and bottom are on the same side, so that the water flows obliquely during the process of inflow and outflow and inflow and outflow.

4. The pulse tube refrigerator using an integrated water-cooled heat exchange module according to claim 2, characterized in that: By switching between the two water circulation modes at regular intervals, water flows up and down in the water-cooled heat exchange chamber (7) to form a periodic alternating circulation of water flow, thereby ensuring that each part of the post-stage heat exchanger (2) and the inertia tube (6) is cooled in a timely manner.

5. The pulse tube refrigerator using an integrated water-cooled heat exchange module according to claim 1, characterized in that: The inertia tube (6) is coiled and adhered to the outer surface of the post-stage heat exchanger (2).

6. The pulse tube refrigerator using an integrated water-cooled heat exchange module according to claim 1, characterized in that: The water-cooled heat exchange chamber (7) is cylindrical, or is designed according to the shape of the gas reservoir (8) to adapt to changes in different structures.

7. The pulse tube refrigerator using an integrated water-cooled heat exchange module according to claim 1, characterized in that: The inertia tube (6) adopts a finned tube or other structures that increase the surface area of ​​the inertia tube (6).

8. The pulse tube refrigerator using an integrated water-cooled heat exchange module according to claim 1, characterized in that: The outer surface of the water-cooled heat exchange cavity (7) adopts a fin structure or other structure that increases the outer surface area of ​​the water-cooled heat exchange cavity (7).

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