Cryogenic Systems
West Coast Solutions brings decades of multidisciplinary cryocooler and cryogenic system experience to solve your most challenging needs. Here are some examples of how we can help you:
- Space cryocooler system design and delivery
- Cryocooler design and prototyping
- Cryocooler integration
- Cryogenic system design
- Cryogenic thermal analysis
- Cryogenic computational fluid dynamics (CFD)
- Cryocooler market evaluation and selection
- Cryogenic system testing
- Cryocooler vibration testing
- Cryocooler regenerator design
- Dewar design
A few examples of our recent work are provided below:
SmallSat Stirling Cryocooler (SSC-X)
West Coast Solutions, in collaboration with the Georgia Tech Cryo Lab (GTCL), is developing the SmallSat Stirling Cryocooler (SSC-X) for the Missile Defense Agency (MDA) to help meet the challenges of next generation ballistic missile defense through a large constellation of small satellites. SSC-X will yield a 2X improvement in Size, Weight, and Power (SWaP) relative to current state of the art cryocoolers of comparable size and capacity. The projected key performance parameters are 2.8W @ 77K for 32 WAC input power in a flight package weighing <1.5 kg. Following a successful brassboard test program on a prior STTR program, a Sequential Phase II SBIR was awarded in July 2022 with the goal of producing and qualifying flight prototypes.
- Very high frequency (VHF) to enable compact size, reduce jitter, and improve EMI performance
- Stirling cycle for high efficiency (20% Carnot @ 80K)
- Pulse tube options available from WCS and partner companies
- Scalable from 5W to 50W input
- Supports high efficiency cooling from 50K to 180K
- Multi-stage hybrid Stirling-pulse tube version extends applicability down to 30K
Hyperspectral Thermal Imager (HyTI)
West Coast Solutions has been teamed with Hawaii Space Flight Laboratory (HSFL) since 2018 as the Cryocooler Systems Engineering Team on the HyTI mission, which is on track to launch in late 2023. WCS was brought on board at the start of the program to lead the cryocooler selection activity, and continues to support the program in all aspects of cryocooler systems engineering, including providing test support for the AIM SF-070 cryocooler out of our Huntington Beach laboratory and onsite at HSFL.
- Hawaii Space Flight Laboratory NASA InVEST program with JPL
- Cryocooler selection and integration support for the HyTI instrument
- Cryo systems engineering support covering mechanical, thermal, and exported vibration
- Integration of a tactical COTS cryocooler onto a 6U satellite
- Integration and test of custom Creare cryocooler electronics. More details are available here.
- Which is on track to launch in Spring 2024
Ultra-Compact Imaging Spectrometer (UCIS)
West Coast Solutions provided mission critical support to Jet Propulsion Laboratory in the selection, integrated design, and test of the Cryocooler Subsystem. One key task involved the design of a Cryogenic Thermal Demonstrator to experimentally determine the cryogenic thermal loads to be expected in the UCIS instrument. Additional program tasks included SolidWorks Simulation finite element thermal analysis and computational fluid dynamics to guide the heat sink designs.
- Cryocooler selection and integration support for the UCIS airborne instrument
- Cryogenic systems engineering support covering mechanical, thermal, exported vibration, and electrical (EMI)
- Integration of tactical COTS cryocoolers onto the airborne instrument
- Design, build, test and delivery of a portable cryocooler Purge and Charge Station
- Onsite test support at Jet Propulsion Laboratory
NASA Early Stage Innovations (ESI) – Large Format Regenerators
West Coast Solutions is teamed with the Georgia Institute of Technology on a 3-year NASA ESI Program to develop next generation regenerative heat exchanger (regenerator) technology to enable 150W @ 90K and 20W @ 20K for linear (Stirling and pulse tube) cryocoolers.
- Perform cryocooler system modeling for the target cryocoolers to size the regenerators
- Provide the boundary conditions for the Georgia Tech computational fluid dynamics (CFD) modeling efforts
- Investigate and prototype new types of structured regenerators
- Support Georgia Tech by advising on the experimental test setup and assisting with the data reduction and interpretation
Cryocooler Ripple Filters
As one element of our wide range of cryocooler control electronics experience, West Coast Solutions brings a particular expertise in the design of high-performance filters to mitigate the low frequency current ripple imparted onto the input bus by a typical Stirling or pulse tube cryocooler. WCS can tailor the solution to optimally balance the customer’s needs in terms of CE-101 compliance, efficiency, mass, and input and output voltage levels. Recent experience includes a two-channel ripple filter for UCIS (see above), the ripple filter for the HyTI Program, both passive and active space cryocooler ripple filters in the 100W class, and a 600W airborne version.
- Address the unique CE-101 challenges introduced by the AC impedance characteristic of linear Stirling and pulse tube coolers
- Airborne and space (radiation tolerant) designs – multiple flight versions of both delivered
- Solutions implemented from 50W to 600W
- High efficiency, low noise, and high reliability
Results... Delivered.
Our skilled firmware, electrical, mechanical, and software engineers led by seasoned program managers expertly plan and execute all phases of your program, from imagineering through hardware realization.