Characteristics of the double inlet pulse tube Original Research Article

The performance of the double inlet pulse tube (DIPT) is analyzed using a linearized model that takes account of the void volume of the regenerator. The maximum rate of refrigeration obtainable with the regenerator is determined as a function of frequency and void volume. This rate can be achieved by a DIPT with infinitely large reservoir volume. Corrections resulting from a finite reservoir volume are important only at low frequency. The coefficient of performance of a DIPT with optimized rate of refrigeration is less than half of the thermodynamic maximum. The results obtained for the DIPT are compared with corresponding results for the optimized orifice pulse tube refrigerator (OPTR). The large improvements in performance obtained with the DIPT over the OPTR are due primarily to an increase in the pulse tube pressure. The maximum rate of refrigeration decreases as the temperature at the cold side decreases. This is caused primarily from the resulting decrease in cold side flow rate. At given temperature ratio, addition of the second inlet reduces the flow rate through the regenerator over a range of intermediate frequencies.