Principal investigator: Ganesh Balasubramanian
University: Lehigh University
Industry partner: Advanced Research Systems Inc.
Advanced Research Systems, Inc. (ARS) started in 1986 in Macungie, PA to provide cryogenic solutions for low temperature research. ARS has evolved as a world class manufacturer of closed cycle cryocoolers and laboratory cryogenic systems. ARS is the only major supplier of laboratory cryostats that also manufactures 4 K closed cycle cryocoolers for its use. Like other U.S. manufacturers, ARS is facing challenges with the supply of rare-earth alloys as well as in identifying environmentally friendly alternatives to Pb for use in the cryogenic regenerator beds.
The overarching goal of the proposed research is to test and potentially adopt the multicomponent strategy to pave the way for manufacturing a new generation of cryocoolers with higher efficiencies, greater refrigeration capacities. In pursuit of this goal, the research objective of this proposal is to enable a data-science enabled manufacturing of high-entropy alloys with targeted heat capacities. To realize this objective, the research tasks will involve data assimilation and mining to generate machine learned predictions, physics-based computations to validate the data-guided findings, and synthesis and property measurement of the alloys for experimental characterization. The initial selection of materials will be guided by compositions such as CoOsReRu and EuTe alloys, which have demonstrated high specific heat around 20 K.
The data-analytics, predictive modeling and material synthesis will be executed by a graduate student under the supervision of Professor Ganesh Balasubramanian (PI, Mechanical Engineering & Mechanics) whose group has fabricated novel tailored compositions of multicomponent alloys for structural applications requiring high mechanical strength. They will partner with ARS, which will provide data for available samples and property measurements for designer alloys.