DEVELOPMENT OF TWO STAGE GIFFORD McMAHON CRYOCOOLER

Abstract

Cryogenic fluids have significant growth in different industrial applications, including superconductivity, aerospace etc. Depending on the application, the cryogenic fluid flow's purpose varies greatly. Cryogens are required in the case of superconducting magnets in order to maintain the magnet material below a certain temperature and preserve the superconducting state. Currently, no one technology is capable of measuring two-phase flow throughout the entire range of flow conditions. Presenting the design and testing of the proposed two-phase flow-metering device is the goal. The concept is to use capacitance to measure the liquid's height at various locations in the channel by forcing the flow into both a laminar and stratified flow regime. In theory, the flow-rate can be inferred from these height measurements. The idea is a two- phase flow of vapor and liquid through small, parallel channels that produces a laminar, stratified flow that slopes at the liquid-vapor interface. Capacitance-liquid level devices are used in the channel to measure the liquid height. G10 printed circuit boards (PCBs) are used to create the channel walls, and the capacitor conductors are electroplated directly onto the boards to minimize channel intrusion.