A pulse tube cryocooler includes a pulse tube that includes a tube inner space, and an integral flow straightener that includes a flow straightening layer disposed to face the tube inner space so as to straighten a refrigerant gas flow from the tube inner space or into the tube inner space and a heat exchange layer formed integrally with the flow straightening layer outside the flow straightening layer with respect to the tube inner space so as to exchange heat with the refrigerant gas flow by contact with the refrigerant gas flow and is disposed at a low-temperature end and/or a high-temperature end of the pulse tube. The flow straightening layer includes a plurality of protrusions that protrude from the heat exchange layer toward the tube inner space.

A regenerator of a cryo-cooler uses helium both as a working gas and as a heat storage material. The regenerator includes cells whose exterior sides form flow channels through which the working gas flows. Each cell has connected first and second cavities enclosed by a heat-conductive cell wall. The cavities contain helium that is used to store heat. Each cells is shaped as a disk. The working gas flows both through the flow channels and around the regenerator so as to exchange heat with the helium in the cavities via the heat conducting cell wall. Each cell has a pressure-equalizing opening through the cell wall whose diameter is smaller than the thickness of the cell wall. The diameter of the pressure-equalizing opening is dimensioned to permit the pressure of the helium contained in the cell to change by a maximum of 20% during any working cycle of the cryo-cooler.

The present invention provides a multi-stage double-acting traveling-wave thermoacoustic system, comprising three elementary units, each elementary unit comprises a linear motor and a thermoacoustic conversion device; the linear motor comprises a piston and a cylinder, the piston can perform a straight reciprocating motion in the cylinder; each thermoacoustic conversion device comprises a main heat exchanger and a heat regenerator connected in sequence, and the heat regenerator is of a ladder structure; a set of a non-normal-temperature heat exchanger, a thermal buffer tube and an auxiliary heat exchanger is connected at each ladder of the heat regenerator; and the main heat exchanger and the auxiliary heat exchanger of each thermoacoustic conversion device are connected to cylinder cavities of different linear motors respectively forming a loop structure for flow of a gas medium. The multi-stage double-acting traveling-wave thermoacoustic system can improve the working performance of the multi-stage double-acting traveling-wave thermoacoustic system.

A regenerator of a cryo-cooler uses helium both as a working gas and as a heat storage material. The regenerator includes cells whose exterior sides form flow channels through which the working gas flows. Each cell has connected first and second cavities enclosed by a heat-conductive cell wall. The cavities contain helium that is used to store heat. Each cells is shaped as a disk. The working gas flows both through the flow channels and around the regenerator so as to exchange heat with the helium in the cavities via the heat conducting cell wall. Each cell has a pressure-equalizing opening through the cell wall whose diameter is smaller than the thickness of the cell wall. The diameter of the pressure-equalizing opening is dimensioned to permit the pressure of the helium contained in the cell to change by a maximum of 20% during any working cycle of the cryo-cooler.

A regenerator for a cryocooler includes a cell, a flow passage, a capillary and supporting elements. A cell wall encloses a cavity with sub-cavities. A connecting passage connects a first sub-cavity to a second sub-cavity. A first cell partition is disposed between the first and second sub-cavities. The flow passage is also disposed between the first and second sub-cavities. During operation of the regenerator, helium in the cavity functions as a heat-storing material, while helium that flows through the flow passage functions as a working gas. The capillary forms a pressure-equalizing opening in the cell wall and connects the helium that functions as the heat-storing material inside the cavity to the helium that functions as the working gas outside the cavity. The supporting elements are inside the first sub-cavity and separate the first cell partition from a second cell partition. The first and second cell partitions enclose the first sub-cavity.

A cryocooler includes a compressor, an expander, a gas line that allows a working gas to be circulated between the compressor and the expander and includes a high pressure line through which the working gas is supplied from the compressor to the expander and a low pressure line through which the working gas is collected from the expander to the compressor, a bypass line that connects the high pressure line to the low pressure line such that the working gas bypasses the expander and returns from the high pressure line to the low pressure line, and a bypass flow rate control unit that controls a flow rate of the working gas flowing in the bypass line to provide pressure control of the gas line. The bypass line includes a variable flow rate bypass and a fixed flow rate bypass.

A pulse tube refrigerating machine enables maintenance of an orifice while circulation of refrigerant gas within individual components is allowed, thus reducing the time required for maintenance. A compressor delivers a refrigerant gas having a high pressure and sucks the refrigerant gas having a low pressure. A cold head including a regenerator tube through which the refrigerant gas circulates and a pulse tube is connected to a housing. The flow of the refrigerant gas is controlled by one or more orifices, which are disposed outside the housing. The compressor, the housing, and the orifices are coupled via tubing. A coupling unit is disposed at both ends of at least one of the orifices. The coupling unit has a structure such that it can be split while the refrigerant gas is retained within the tubing. When the coupling unit is split, a detachable unit portion including the orifice is isolated.

A pulse tube cryocooler includes a pulse tube that includes a tube inner space, and an integral flow straightener that includes a flow straightening layer disposed to face the tube inner space so as to straighten a refrigerant gas flow from the tube inner space or into the tube inner space and a heat exchange layer formed integrally with the flow straightening layer outside the flow straightening layer with respect to the tube inner space so as to exchange heat with the refrigerant gas flow by contact with the refrigerant gas flow and is disposed at a low-temperature end and/or a high-temperature end of the pulse tube. The flow straightening layer includes a plurality of protrusions that protrude from the heat exchange layer toward the tube inner space.

A cryocooler includes a compressor, an expander, a gas line that allows a working gas to be circulated between the compressor and the expander and includes a high pressure line through which the working gas is supplied from the compressor to the expander and a low pressure line through which the working gas is collected from the expander to the compressor, a bypass line that connects the high pressure line to the low pressure line such that the working gas bypasses the expander and returns from the high pressure line to the low pressure line, and a bypass flow rate control unit that controls a flow rate of the working gas flowing in the bypass line to provide pressure control of the gas line. The bypass line includes a variable flow rate bypass and a fixed flow rate bypass.

A pulse-tube cryocooler includes a compressor piston that is axially aligned with a pulse tube. The compressor piston is an annular piston that has a central hole around its axis. An inertance tube, connected to one end of the pulse tube, runs through the central hole in the compressor piston. The cryocooler also includes a balancer that moves in opposition to the compressor piston, to offset the forces in moving the compressor piston. The balancer may also be axially aligned with the pulse tube, the annular piston, and the inertance tube. The alignment of the compressor piston, the pulse tube, and the inertance tube aligns the forces produced by movement of fluid within the cryocooler.