Paper 13100-105
Low stiffness thermal straps for cryogenic applications
Abstract
In cryogenics, working together with cryocoolers, the thermal straps are a critical thermal element, since they thermally link the instrument with the cold source. In optical elements that work at cryogenic temperatures, the thermal path, and therefore the straps, must isolate them from the vibrations of the cryocoolers. Consequently, its stiffness is a characteristic to consider in the design. But, in the case of optical focal plane arrays, working at very low temperatures such as 50 mK, it can be resonant with the low frequency range of the cryocoolers, and its dissipation can break the superconducting state of the sensors, the basis of its functioning. It is therefore an undesired thermal effect derived from structural behavior. Design limitations impose the need for straps where stiffness is just as important as its conductance. The stiffness value needed is much lower than the one found in commercial straps. Therefore, this work highlights the design, and characterization tests of different strap prototypes in order to achieve the necessary resistivity and thermal conductivity for low cryogenic temperatures. The thermal straps were initially designed for the Cryostat facility for 2K Core Calibration (C2CC) a ground equipment for the ATHENA project (Advanced Telescope for High - ENergy Astrophysics, ESA).
Presenter
INTA Instituto Nacional de Técnica Aeroespacial (Spain)
Dr. Josefina Torres Redondo has a B.S and M.S degree in Aerospace Engineering from Parks College, Saint Louis University and a Ph.D in Mechanical Engineering from the Polytechnic University of Madrid.
She started to work in the Laboratory of remote exploration and Instrumentation of the Center of Astrobiology (INTA-CSIC). She was responsible of the manufacturing of the structural parts of the wind sensors for NASA MSL project (landed 2012). NASA INSIGHT project (landed in 2018) and NASA MARS2020 (landed in 2021) .
She was also responsible for the Focal Plane Unit of SAFARI (SPICA infrared telescope) which was an ESA M5 candidate. Currently she has a research position in the Payload and Instrumentation department of INTA.