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Journal of the Acoustical Society of America / Volume 84 / Issue 4

Thermoacoustic engines

J. Acoust. Soc. Am. Volume 84, Issue 4, pp. 1145-1180 (1988); (36 pages)

G. W. Swift

Condensed Matter and Thermal Physics Group, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, New Mexico 87545

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Thermoacoustic engines, or acoustic heat engines, are energy‐conversion devices that achieve simplicity and concomitant reliability by use of acoustic technology. Their efficiency can be a substantial fraction of Carnot’s efficiency. In thermoacoustic prime movers, heat flow from a high‐temperature source to a low‐temperature sink generates acoustic power (which may be converted to electric power using a transducer). In thermoacoustic heat pumps and refrigerators, acoustic power is used to pump heat from a low‐temperature source to a high‐temperature sink. This review teaches the fundamentals of thermoacoustic engines, by analysis, intuition, and example.

KEYWORDS and PACS

Keywords

THERMOACOUSTIC EFFECT, ACOUSTIC TRANSDUCERS, HEAT ENGINES, ACOUSTICS, RELIABILITY, HEAT FLOW, EFFICIENCY, HEAT PUMPS

PACS

  • 43.10.Ln

    Surveys and tutorial papers relating to acoustics research; tutorial papers on applied acoustics

  • 43.35.Ud

    Thermoacoustics, high temperature acoustics, photoacoustic effect

  • 84.60.Rb

    Thermoelectric, electrogasdynamic and other direct energy conversion

  • 43.20.Ks

    Standing waves, resonance, normal modes

ARTICLE DATA

History
Received 17 Mar 1988
Accepted 05 Jul 1988
Digital Object Identifier
http://dx.doi.org/10.1121/1.396617

PUBLICATION DATA

ISSN

0001-4966 (print)  

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