Instructions for using the numeric code FZKPTR for the design of pulse tube coolers

Pulse tube refrigerators (PTR) are most attractive devices for cooling at cryogenic temperatures (T < 100 K). Such coolers are based on Stirling process gas cycles, but they are so designed that they have no mechanical components moving at low temperatures. By this fact, they will run very smoothly, and they become very reliable. Temperatures down to about 20 K can be achieved with single stage configurations and even less than 2 K with two-stage systems. Single stage systems are ranging typically from sizes lifting less than 1 W up to several 100 W from 80 K to ambient temperature, and typical two-stage systems will lift about 1 W from 4 K. Operational frequencies may range from about 1 Hz for two-stage systems and more than 50 Hz for single-stage coolers. The design of such coolers is a difficult task. But the present computer code FZKPTR proves to be a valuable tool for doing such work and for getting a profound understanding of the thermodynamic process going on in the whole system. The easy-to-handle code is based on the thermoacoustic theory. It has been written for a two-stage 4 K PTR. But is can also be used for many other configurations. The basic use and the installation to a PC platform is described in the first chapters. The theoretical background and the basic architecture of the code will be explained with respect to use the code for manifold applications. This is being explained on hand of different examples ranging from low frequency (2 Hz) 4 K coolers to high frequency (60 Hz) single stage coolers with inertance tube phase shifters. Moreover it is shown how this code can be used to describe simple configurations of thermoacoustic drivers. This report serves as a manual for solving user defined applications. A wide spectrum of such applications can be treated just by modification of a clearly organized list of input data. The compiled code will run on any PC. Most users will not need a Fortran compiler. (orig.) / Available from TIB Hannover: ZA5141(6929) / FIZ - Fachinformationszzentrum Karlsruhe / TIB - Technische Informationsbibliothek / SIGLE / DE / Germany