Assessment of the Philips USFA BV 7mm Cooling Engine
Abstract
Philips Usfa B.V. Stirling cycle spli-mode cooling engines, sampled from development, pre-production batches, have been extensively tested at RSRE. Measurement of cryogenic performance at normal and high ambient temperatures in run-stop-run and continual-run regimes have been made. Representative detector encapsulations have been interfaced to provide typical combination heat loads. One pre-production unit has been installed and operated successfully in a Thermal Imaging Common Module (TICM) Class 2 Scanner. Detector microphony-noise measurements were made and compared with those recorded when the same array was cooled with high pressure pure gas liquified by a Hymatic self-regulating mini- cooler. Initial problems of contamination of the helium gas and of the thermal interface with the detector encapsulation have been highlighted and addressed by the manufacturers. A production standard unit has achieved over 5,000 hours intermittent and continuous running during a period of 12 months. Great Britain.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- May 01, 1988
- Accession Number
- ADA201141
Entities
People
- D. P. Laycock
- W. J. Powell
Organizations
- Royal Signals and Radar Establishment