Emery, Nick2011-07-152011-07-152011http://hdl.handle.net/10092/5306http://dx.doi.org/10.26021/1915A single-stage pulse tube cryocooler was designed and fabricated to provide cooling at 50 K for a high temperature superconducting (HTS) magnet, with a nominal electrical input frequency of 50 Hz and a maximum mean helium working gas pressure of 2.5 MPa. Sage software was used for the thermodynamic design of the pulse tube, with an initially predicted 30 W of cooling power at 50 K, and an input indicated power of 1800 W. Sage was found to be a useful tool for the design, and although not perfect, some correlation was established. The fabricated pulse tube was closely coupled to a metallic diaphragm pressure wave generator (PWG) with a 60 ml swept volume. The pulse tube achieved a lowest no-load temperature of 55 K and provided 46 W of cooling power at 77 K with a p-V input power of 675 W, which corresponded to 19.5% of Carnot COP. Recommendations included achieving the specified displacement from the PWG under the higher gas pressures, design and development of a more practical co-axial pulse tube and a multi-stage configuration to achieve the power at lower temperatures required by HTS.enCopyright Nick Emerypulse tubeStirlingSagepressure wave generatorcryocoolercryogenicsrefrigeratorTheses / Dissertations