GM Cryocooler Gas Spring Mechanism to Reduce Collision Vibration
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Solution Overview
Problem
Gas-driven Gifford-McMahon cryocoolers experience vibration and abnormal noise due to collisions between the displacer and the cylinder, which are challenging to mitigate with existing designs.
Innovation Solution
Incorporating a gas spring mechanism and a pressure-controlled drive piston system that reduces the likelihood of collisions by using a gas spring chamber to generate a force opposing the downward movement of the drive piston, thereby minimizing contact and noise.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If a gas-driven displacer system is used, then the cryocooler achieves simplified mechanical structure, but vibration and abnormal noise occur due to collisions between displacer and cylinder
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a gas spring mechanism that pre-compresses to store elastic potential energy, creating a cushioning force before the displacer reaches the cylinder. This beforehand cushioning prevents direct collision by allowing the gas spring to absorb impact energy, thereby reducing vibration and abnormal noise while maintaining the simplified gas-driven structure
2Object-generated harmful factors
If pressure control is applied to the drive piston, then collision likelihood is reduced, but the system requires additional pressure control mechanisms
Solution Approach 1:
The gas spring mechanism operates autonomously based on the reciprocating motion of the drive piston, automatically adjusting pressure to prevent collision without requiring external control systems. The system uses the inherent mechanical motion to compress and expand the gas spring, creating a self-regulating pressure control mechanism that reduces collision likelihood while avoiding additional complexity
3Power
If the gas spring chamber is airtightly formed, then the drive piston can be effectively driven by pressure control, but the structure becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The gas spring chamber is integrated into the existing piston cylinder structure, merging the drive mechanism and gas spring housing into a single unified component. This combination achieves effective pressure-driven actuation of the drive piston while avoiding the need for separate airtight chambers, thereby reducing structural complexity
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 solution effectively reduces vibration and abnormal noise in gas-driven Gifford-McMahon cryocoolers by controlling the movement of the displacer and drive piston, ensuring smoother operation and enhanced performance.
Implementation Method 1
a gas spring chamber which is airtightly formed with respect to the displacer cylinder and is partitioned from the drive chamber by the drive piston
Implementation Method 2
a drive chamber of which a pressure is controlled to drive the drive piston
Data Source
AI summary
A GM cryocooler includes a displacer that is reciprocatable in an axial direction; a displacer cylinder that houses the displacer; a drive piston that is coupled to the displacer so as to drive the displacer in the axial direction; and a piston cylinder that houses the drive piston and that includes a drive chamber of which a pressure is controlled to drive the drive piston, and a gas spring chamber which is airtightly formed with respect to the displacer cylinder and is partitioned from the drive chamber by the drive piston.