Design of a Valved Moving Magnet Type Linear Compressor for a Joule-Thomson Cryocooler

For temperatures around 4-6 K, Joule-Thomson (J-T) cryocoolers can achieve a higher efficiency than Stirling or pulse tube cryocoolers thus have been widely used in space. It is crucial for a J-T compressor to obtain a relatively high pressure ratio. With this concept, a valved moving magnet type linear compressor has been designed. This paper describes the design method and component structure of the linear compressor in detail. The electromagnetic force of linear motor, stiffness and stress distribution of flexure springs were calculated based on finite element method (FEM). System resonance was specially considered to achieve a high efficiency, and system vibration and heat dissipation problems were discussed. The design goal of the linear compressor is to achieve an efficiency of 80% and a lifetime longer than 5 years.