The cool-down characteristics of a miniature Joule–Thomson refrigerator Original Research Article

Cool-down characteristics of a miniature J–T refrigerator with a pressurized vessel, which has different initial pressures of nitrogen gas, were investigated by experiment. The supply and exhaust pressures, the temperatures on the surface of the cryostat, and the mass flow rate were measured simultaneously to analyze the cool-down characteristics of the J–T refrigerator with a pressurized vessel or reservoir. The results show the effect of the supply pressure on the cold end temperature of the J–T refrigerator. The influence of the supply pressure and the temperature on the mass flow rate during the cool-down stage is discussed in details.