The RTC-159 Ultra cooler with both heating and cooling capabilities features the FPSC (Free piston stirling cooler) as the cooling source. The FPSC is a Stirling heat pump that uses a small amount helium gas as a heat transport medium, instead of standard refrigerants. The FPSC has an advantage, over traditional cooling systems, both in energy efficiency and environmental friendliness. These advantages are accomplished using state of the art technology and by virtue of being Freon, CFC and HFC free.
The FPSC has two major moving parts (piston and displacer) that oscillate in a linear motion along the same axis within a single cylinder which is installed in a stainless steel casing. The piston repeatedly compresses and expands the helium gas to cool the tip (cold head) of the extended part of the casing. The FPSC can be used to cool a temperature sensor down to a temperature between -50°C and -100°C at an ambient temperature condition of 23°C. The total working temperature range for the efficient cooling temperature calibrator is from -100°C all the way up to 155°C.
The FPSC has a high efficiency, and can be as much as 6 times higher than thermoelectric (Peltier) coolers.