Title :
Thermoacoustic engines
Author :
Arnott, W.P. ; Raspet, Richard ; Bass, Henry E.
Author_Institution :
Dept. of Phys. & Astron., Mississippi Univ., University, MS, USA
Abstract :
Thermoacoustic engines (TAEs) can be used to pump heat using a sound wave or pump a sound wave using a temperature gradient. The basic arrangement is a gas-filled acoustic resonator with appropriately positioned thermoacoustic elements. Two types of thermoacoustic elements are used in these engines: (1) heat exchangers used to communicate heat between the gas and external heat reservoirs; and (2) the TAE, also known as a stack. The TAEs are sections of porous media that support the temperature gradient, transport heat on the acoustic wave between the exchangers, and produce or absorb acoustic power. Previous results have been developed for TAEs with circular or parallel slit pore geometries. The theory is extended for gas-filled TAEs to include pores of arbitrary cross-sectional geometry. An approximate analysis of energy flow and acoustical measurements of a thermoacoustic prime mover are given
Keywords :
acoustic resonators; heat engines; heat exchangers; heat pumps; thermoacoustics; energy flow; gas-filled acoustic resonator; heat exchangers; porous media; stack; temperature gradient; thermoacoustic elements; thermoacoustic engines; thermoacoustic prime mover; Acoustic waves; Astronomy; Cogeneration; Heat engines; Heat pumps; Physics; Refrigeration; Resonance; Temperature; Thermodynamics;
Conference_Titel :
Ultrasonics Symposium, 1991. Proceedings., IEEE 1991
Conference_Location :
Orlando, FL
DOI :
10.1109/ULTSYM.1991.234265
