Environmental motivation to switch to thermoacoustic refrigeration

Since modern refrigeration technologies were introduced in the early century, their use has significantly increased. In fact it is now almost impossible imagine life without refrigeration and air conditioning. Currently, cooling is primarily achieved with vapor compression machines that use a specific refrigerant that can be tailored to any required temperature level. To achieve these properties, blends of hydrogen, carbon, fluorine and chlorine in various mixing ratios are utilized. Depending on those ratios, the refrigerant exhibits a specific set of properties in regard to refrigeration, but also a global warming potential and an ozone depletion potential. Since the adverse effects of those substances have been discovered, the field of refrigeration is moving away from conventional refrigerants, constantly searching for better alternatives. Thermoacoustic refrigeration is such an alternative that can provide cooling to essentially any required temperature level without using any environmentally harmful substances. It is a niche technology that can be expanded into a broader market, primarily if the sizing problem can be solved. Currently, the most efficient thermoacoustic refrigerators are used in industrial settings. As an example, this work illustrates the benefits of this technology with a consideration of its Total Equivalent Warming Impact (TEWI) compared to conventional cooling in vehicles, which is shown to be a potential target application. Also, additional target applications are suggested.