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Thermal management of cryogenic coolers used in military infrared sensors

Book ·
OSTI ID:423102
;  [1]
  1. Texas Instruments, Inc., Dallas, TX (United States)
High performance infrared (IR) sensors are based on IR detectors that must be cooled to cryogenic temperatures to achieve the desired performance. The current IR sensors being developed utilize compact, linear drive cryocoolers based on the Stirling cycle to achieve the cryogenic temperatures. The integration of these coolers into the IR systems present a number of complex and unique challenges. One of the most significant affecting the reliability and performance of the system, is the thermal management of the cooler. Developing an effective heatsink design that maximizes cooling capacity and lifetime while meeting system requirements is a top priority. This paper discusses the thermal management issues of cryogenic coolers and the system requirements that influence the heatsink design. A thermal model and validation testing of the cooler is presented to show analytical capabilities for evaluating heatsink designs. The integration of the model and heatsink design into an IR system is demonstrated by comparing analytical results and empirical data.
OSTI ID:
423102
Report Number(s):
CONF-960815--; ISBN 0-7918-1511-0
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English