Search Results

The NICMOS Cryogenic Cooler (NCC) is a turbomachine-based reverse-Brayton cycle cryocooler combined with a single-phase cryogenic heat transport loop. The NCC will be installed on the Hubble Space Telescope (HST) on a future servicing mission, and will provide refrigeration to the Near Infrared Camera and Multi-Object Spectrometer (NICMOS) detectors that were previously cooled by a dewar of sublimating solid nitrogen. The NCC is designed to remove a total of 7 W of heat and maintain the NICMOS detectors at 77 K. The 7 W heat load is comprised of the dissipation from the NICMOS detectors and the parasitics into the heat transport loop. During testing of the NCC it was crucial to quantify parasitic heat loads in the heat transport loop since this governs the minimum temperature that can be achieved at the NICMOS detectors.

This paper describes the flight verification of a nitrogen triple-point Cryogenic Thermal Storage Unit (CTSU), which flew as part of the CRYOTSU payload on STS-95 in late 1998. The CTSU flight unit is a dual-volume device with a 140 cc beryllium cryogenic heat exchanger and a 17 liter stainless steel ambient storage tank. During the flight, the CTSU demonstrated 3 kJ of energy storage at 63.15 K with variable heat loads from 5-9 W. An additional test was performed which demonstrated nitrogen's solid-solid transition at 35 K with 1 kJ of energy storage. The zero-g environment had no measurable impact on CTSU operation.

This paper describes the Cryogenic Capillary Pumped Loop (CCPL) flight experiment, which flew as part of the CRYOTSU payload on STS-95 in late 1998. The CCPL flight unit is a miniaturized two-phase fluid circulator for transporting cooling power from cryogenic cooling sources (cryocoolers) to remote cryogenic components. During the 9-day flight, the N2-charged CCPL operated successfully over six test cycles (~70 hours). Heat loads were varied from 0-3 W and tests included several startups, power cycles, cold reservoir set-point tests, and condenser sink temperature tests. Ground and flight test data is included herein. The zero-g environment had no discernible impact on CCPL operation.

This paper describes the Cryogenic Thermal Storage Unit (CTSU) flight experiment, which flew as part of the CRYOTSU payload on STS-95 in late 1998. The CTSU flight unit is a dual-volume nitrogen triple-point device with a 140 cc beryllium cryogenic heat exchanger and a 17 liter stainless steel ambient storage tank. During the 9-day flight, the CTSU completed all testing goals including 22 full freeze-thaw and 18 partial freeze-thaw cycles at power levels from 5-9 W. All tests were successful and demonstrated 3000 J of energy storage at 63.15 K. An additional test was performed which demonstrated nitrogen’s solid-solid transition at 35 K with 1000 J of energy storage. The zero-g environment had no discernible impact on CTSU operation.