Numerical analysis of a modified type pulse tube refrigerator

The loss generated due to direct current gas flow in pulse tube refrigerator (PTR) is one of the major problems which significantly affect the cooling performance. It generates temperature fluctuation at the cold end of the PTR. A new type PTR has been proposed in the present work to diminish the DC flow problem by attaching an additional connection at the hot end from a secondary compressor and investigated numerically using CFD simulation software FLUENT. It is reported a significant enhancement of cooling performance by means of the proposed model. The numerical outcomes of the proposed model are equated with the outcomes of the orifice type pulse tube refrigerator (OPTR) model. The model used for analysis is an axisymmetric model. At 34 Hz operating frequency and 1.2 pressure ratio the numerical simulation is conducted. The proposed model achieves a temperature of 98 K at cold end where as a simple OPTR having same dimension riches a temperature of 130 K. To get an optimum result experimentally for the pulse tube refrigerator, is a very difficult and also high expensive hence the numerical approach is an alternate solution. (C) 2017 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.