Patents by Inventor Christopher Star Dodson

Christopher Star Dodson has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Pulse tube refrigerator with tunable inertance tube
    Patent number: 9784480
    Abstract: An inertance tube for a pulse tube refrigerator which can be tuned to optimize performance. Apertures in the inertance tube fluidly communicate the inertance tube with a fluid reservoir. The effective length of the inertance tube is changed by alternatively closing or opening the apertures. Changing the effective length of the inertance tube causes a phase shift between the mass flow and pressure waves in the working gas which, in turn, changes the acoustic power. Controlling the phase angle improves Carnot efficiency. The cooling load capacity of the pulse tube refrigerator is a function of the acoustic power.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 17, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 10, 2017
    Assignee: THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA AS REPRESENTED BY THE SECRETARY OF THE AIR FORCE
    Inventor: Christopher Star Dodson
  • Pulse tube refrigerator with tunable inertance tube
    Patent number: 9091463
    Abstract: An inertance tube for a pulse tube refrigerator which can be tuned to optimize performance. Apertures in the inertance tube fluidly communicate the inertance tube with a fluid reservoir. The effective length of the inertance tube is changed by alternatively closing or opening the apertures. Changing the effective length of the inertance tube causes a phase shift between the mass flow and pressure waves in the working gas which, in turn, changes the acoustic power. Controlling the phase angle improves Carnot efficiency. The cooling load capacity of the pulse tube refrigerator is a function of the acoustic power.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 9, 2011
    Date of Patent: July 28, 2015
    Assignee: The United States of America as Represented by the Secretary of the Air Force
    Inventor: Christopher Star Dodson