Joule-Thompson cooler fabricated from microtubes of different diameters

Kuan H. Chen; Jing-Yu Chen

doi:10.1117/12.370171

12 November 1999 Joule-Thompson cooler fabricated from microtubes of different diameters

Kuan H. Chen, Jing-Yu Chen

Proceedings Volume 3795, Terahertz and Gigahertz Photonics; (1999) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.370171
Event: SPIE's International Symposium on Optical Science, Engineering, and Instrumentation, 1999, Denver, CO, United States

Abstract

Joule-Thomson (JT) coolers have been widely used for cooling optoelectronic devices and for cryogenic applications. In the present investigation the performance and behaviors of a JT cooler fabricated from micro tubes of different diameters were studied. The cooler was comprised of circular tubes with diameters ranging from less than a hundred microns to a couple of millimeters. The smallest tube serves as a throttling device while the other tubes were used to fabricate a concentric-tube heat exchanger. Temperature drops were measured for nitrogen gas flowing through capillary tubes of different diameters and lengths. Gas dynamic theories were employed for analyzing the high- pressure gas flow in the JT cooler. Friction choking was observed under normal operating conditions, with strong compression and expansion waves appearing at the exit of the throttling tube. The simple design and configuration of the present JT cooler makes it suitable for batch fabrication using the photo lithography technique if the circular tubes are replaced by etched micron channels. This attractive feature of the micro-tube JT cooler can facilitate the integration of high-power optoelectronic devices and their cooling systems.

Citation Download Citation

Kuan H. Chen and Jing-Yu Chen "Joule-Thompson cooler fabricated from microtubes of different diameters", Proc. SPIE 3795, Terahertz and Gigahertz Photonics, (12 November 1999); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.370171

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