Cryogenic cooling of x-ray crystals using porous matrix

It is well established that Si and SiC have very desirable thermophysical properties at cryogenic temperatures. This feature makes cryo-cooled optics potentially a good candidate for the first optical crystal of the presently built third generation synchrotron machines with very high heat flux levels. Currently, there is a great deal of interest in such cryo-cooled crystals pursued both experimentally and analytically. The analytical studies involve cut micro or capillary channel crystals. As opposed to the machined channels, porous matrices provide significant advantages. They operate very quietly. Such matrices are known to affect superior heat transfer enhancement. Data available in open literature suggest that surface heat flux levels up to ∼8 kW/cm2 are possible. For cryogens for which the boiling heat transfer heat flux is rather a low value in conventional geometries, the enhancement available with such matrices is a very significant characteristic. Cryogens are poor thermal conductors themselves. The fact that at the cryogenic temperatures the Si and/or SiC matrix itself becomes highly conductive, the matrix distributes the surface heat flux into the full volume effectively offsetting the poor conductivity of the coolant. In addition the tortuous path of the coolant through the matrix increases the dwell time for better heat transfer, however, at the expense of increased pressure drop. In this study, thermal conductivity of such composite matrices and the effective heat transfer coefficient obtainable using them are investigated. A first optics crystal model of Si with Si and/or Sic porous matrix as its heat exchanger and subject to prototype synchrotron level heat flux is analyzed and limits of the cooling possible with liquid nitrogen in single phase and subcooled boiling heat transfer modes are delineated