Etched foil regenerator

A new regenerator for cryocoolers has been designed and tested. This regenerator improves performance of existing cryocoolers. The regenerator promises to allow regenerative cryocoolers to run at higher speeds. The regenerator can be fabricated in numerous shapes and from a variety of materials, including materials with high heat capacity at low temperatures. Thermodynamic analysis of the regenerator with a computational fluid dynamics model and test results in a pulse tube cryocooler are described.