Development and performance tests of miniature stirling cryocooler

This paper is about development of a gamma-type integral Stirling cryocooler. The cryocooler consists of piston, displacer, regenerator, Dewar, clearance seals, and rotary BLDC motor. The design was targeted for applications such as night vision device where compactness and light weight design are prime requirements. These requirements make design of piston, cylinder, and clearance seals very critical. Assembly procedures require particular attention while handling precise components. Helium filling requires a special fixture and procedures to avoid contamination.A BLDC motor was developed to be used as prime mover for miniature cryocooler. Compactness and high efficiency make BLDC a proper choice. The prototype Stirling cryocooler has been tested and parameters such as power consumption, coefficient of performance are investigated under various rotating speeds and charged pressure, which will help us in further developments and optimization of cryocooler.