High-efficiency microlinear Stirling cooler for HOT infrared detectors

High-performance infrared (IR) sensors operating at high temperatures (HOT) are essential for miniaturized, lightweight thermal imaging platforms like rifle and gunner sights, as well as unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). These applications demand advanced coolers with characteristics such as high reliability, low power consumption, fast cooling time, small size, lightweight, and low cost. In this paper, the dynamic characterization of a pneumatically-driven displacer with a ladder rod is analyzed, and the thermodynamic parameters of the regenerator and displacer are designed, we present the successful development of a high-efficiency micro linear Stirling cooler and driven controller. the cooler features a compact structure and an optimum frequency of 120 Hz. With a total weight of 217 grams, including a 12-gram driven controller, the cooler achieves impressive cooling performance, at a reject temperature of 23°C, it delivers a cooling capacity of 1.34 W at 150K with an input electric power of 10 Wac, when integrated with an evacuated simulation Dewar(the heat load is 160mW@77K@23C ), the steady-state temperature control power consumption of the cooler as low as 1.8Wdc@150K, Moreover, it takes 80s to cool down to 150K. Additionally, the relevant environmental tests were conducted to verify the mechanical robustness and reliability. Furthermore, we propose the design concept of an in-line integral linear Stirling cooler for future development.