Fast, Low-Duty-Cycle Sorption Refrigerators

Metal hydride/hydrogen-sorption refrigerators developed to provide rapid, intermittent cooling at temperatures between 30 and 10 K. In original application, refrigerators cool infrared detectors aboard spacecraft, exhausting heat to outer space via radiators at 250 K. Modified to cool scientific instrumentation on Earth with some loss of efficiency. Require no power during quick cooldown and low heating power during relatively long recharge periods.