Fundamental Studies of Radial Wave Thermoacoustic Engines.
Abstract
The influence of resonator and stack geometry on thermoacoustic refrigerator performance is investigated. The current focus is on the radial mode of a cylindrical resonator and parallel plate stacks. Progress in the past year has been development of a numerical model to evaluate and optimize radial refrigerator performance, and contribution of a hot end heat exchanger to the radial wave prime mover now operating at the University of Mississippi. The numerical model was used to evaluate a plane-wave heat-driven thermoacoustic sound source driving a radial-wave refrigerator. Optimization improved the overall efficiency of the intuitive design by an order of magnitude. The refrigerator was predicted to operate at 25% of the Carnot coefficient of performance, and the prime mover at 28% of the Carnot efficiency. The optimization results were explored to evaluate implications of design features including relative stack placement in the standing wave, stack plate spacing relative to the thermal penetration depth, the trade-offs between kinetic and potential energy dissipation and thermoacoustic power generation, and the dynamical stack temperature distribution relative to the static result that depends only on stack and gas thermal conductivity.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- May 01, 1996
- Accession Number
- ADA310101
Entities
People
- W. P. Arnott
Organizations
- University of Nevada, Reno