Cryocooler Link Flexure Design to Reduce Vibration and Noise
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional cryocooler systems experience vibrations and noise due to loose mechanical couplings, which lead to misalignment-induced stress and reduced cooling capacity, and tightening these couplings to reduce play and noise results in premature failure of components.
Innovation Solution
A regenerator link flexure with opposing flat faces and a flexible design in titanium is used to accommodate misalignment, maintaining tight clearances while minimizing stress and friction, thereby reducing vibrations and noise.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-affected harmful factors
If mechanical coupling clearances are reduced to eliminate play and noise, then vibration and audible noise are reduced, but component stress increases leading to premature failure
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the material parameter of the regenerator link from conventional rigid materials to flexible titanium alloy, enabling the link to elastically deform and accommodate misalignment without generating excessive stress or noise. This parameter change allows the system to maintain tight clearances while preventing the high stresses that lead to component failure.
Solution Approach 2:
The regenerator link is designed as a flexible component with opposing flat faces that can bend to accommodate misalignment between the motor shaft and regenerator piston axes. This flexibility allows the coupling to maintain tight clearances and reduce play while the link itself deforms elastically to prevent stress concentration and premature failure of rigid components.
2Manufacturing precision
If mechanical coupling clearances are reduced to improve precision, then misalignment-induced stress is reduced, but manufacturing complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of manufacturing rigid components with extremely tight tolerances to ensure precise alignment, the patent changes the material parameter to flexible titanium alloy, allowing the regenerator link to naturally accommodate misalignment through elastic deformation. This approach is easier to manufacture because it tolerates normal manufacturing variations while still achieving precise operational alignment.
3Strength
If regenerator link is made rigid to maintain structural strength, then load-bearing capacity is maintained, but misalignment causes cyclical bending stress and fatigue failure
Solution Approach 1:
The regenerator link is designed as a flexible component with opposing flat faces that can bend to accommodate misalignment between the motor shaft and regenerator piston axes. This flexibility allows the coupling to maintain tight clearances while the link itself deforms elastically to prevent stress concentration and premature failure of rigid components.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs titanium alloy, a high-strength material that provides both the necessary load-bearing capacity and sufficient flexibility to accommodate misalignment without failing. The material properties of titanium alloy allow the regenerator link to maintain structural strength while exhibiting enough elasticity to prevent cyclical bending stress and fatigue failure.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The flexible link design mitigates mechanical stress and reduces noise and heat buildup, enhancing the reliability and cooling capacity of the cryocooler system while preventing premature failure of components.
Implementation Method 1
A regenerator link flexure with opposing flat faces and a flexible design in titanium is used to accommodate misalignment, maintaining tight clearances while minimizing stress and friction
Data Source
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AI summary
A cryocooler is provided that includes: a regenerator piston; a drive coupler; and a link flexure having a proximal end coupled by a first pin to the drive coupler and having a distal end coupled by a second pin to the regenerator piston, where the link flexure forms a vane having flattened opposing faces that are orthogonal to a longitudinal axis for the first and second pin.