Numerical investigation of free piston Stirling cooler with annular regenerator for moderate cryogenic temperature applications

Abstract Stirling coolers, one which employs helium as the working fluid, offer an alternate choice for those looking for a cooling system that offers both ecological friendly and energy-efficient. The preliminary conceptual design of a beta-type free piston Stirling cooler was carried out by using SAGE 12 software. Important system components were interconnected through the application of distinct boundary conditions, including pressure, mass flow, and heat flow. The analysis of the cooler takes into account several crucial characteristics, including the porosity of the regenerator, phase angle between piston and displacer, the clearance of the piston, the gap in the displacer appendix, all of which have an impact on the cooler’s performance. The designed cooler can produce varying cooling loads in the 100K to 200 K range nearly with linear temperature gradient curve. The second stage of the study focused on the design of a linear motor drive mechanism with the help of Ansys Maxwell software by which the piston moves in axial direction to provide the Simple Harmonic Motion.