Pulse-Tube Refrigerator

Abstract

The present invention relates to pulse tube refrigerators for recondensing cryogenic liqs. In particular, the present invention relates to the same for magnetic resonance imaging systems. In many cryogenic applications components, e.g., superconducting coils for magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), superconducting transformers, generators, electronics, are cooled by keeping them in contact with a vol. of liquefied gases (e.g. helium, neon, nitrogen, argon, methane). In a first aspect, the present invention provides pulse tube refrigerator (PTR) arrangement within a cryogenic app., wherein a regenerator tube of the PTR is finned. In this configuration the fins or baffles are believed to increase the surface area available for distributed heat transfer from the helium atm. to the regenerator. [on SciFinder(R)]