A high frequency cascade thermoacoustic engine

A miniature cascade thermoacoustic engine, which consisted of one standing-wave stage and one traveling-wave stage in series, was built and tested, which length was about 1.2 m, operating at 470 Hz using helium as working gas. The cascade modeling, the simulation and the primary experimental results are described in this paper. Four different configurations of the miniature cascade thermoacoustic engines had been designed and compared. According to the analysis, the diameter ratio of stages was designed to extend the traveling-wave region, which optimized value was about 1.69. The peak-to-peak value of the acoustic pressure was predicted to arrive to 3 bar at the 3 MPa mean pressure of helium when 300 W heating power was the input. The features of the engine were predicted delivering 68 W acoustic power with a thermal efficiency of up to 22.74% (the ratio of acoustic power to heater power). Due to careful designing, the engine self-excited the oscillation smoothly from the first experiment. An onset temperature gradient of about 4.5 K/mm was achieved, and the peak-to-peak acoustic pressure was 48 KPa at the 2 MPa mean pressure when 200 W heating power was the input. The design computation and experimental results showed a rather good agreement between the measured and calculated pressure phasor and temperatures distributions in the cascade thermoaoustic engine.     

行波热声发动机末端耦合方式研究

行波热声发动机可与各种声学负载耦合,在对耦合位置的研究基础上,进一步开展负载末端耦合时行波热声发动机的性能研究.同时改变直管谐振管内径和长度,使频率恒为67.7 Hz,保证发动机环路声功转换特性一致.研究表明,当谐振管内径为120 mm时,系统性能最好;以氦气为工质,在平均压力3 MPa、加热功率2 000 W、热端温...     

Performance comparison of thermoacoustic engines with constant-diameter resonant tube and tapered resonant tube

Two standing-wave thermoacoustic engines with a constant-diameter resonant tube and a tapered one, respectively, are simulated with linear thermoacoustics to explore the reasons for performance improvement of the thermoacoustic engine with the tapered resonant tube substituting for the constant-diameter one. Computed results indicate that the viscous loss in the tapered resonant tube is much lower than that in the constant-diameter one, and the smooth joint between the tapered resonant tube and its resonant cavity may avoid the acoustic power loss derived from sharp variation of flow area. The comparison between the computed results and the experimental data indicates that the simulation can roughly predict the performance of thermoacoustic engines with these two types of resonant tubes.     

Experimental investigation on a thermoacoustic engine having a looped tube and resonator

The purpose of this paper is to study the impact of regenerator hydraulic radius, resonator length, and mean pressure on the characteristics of the tested thermoacoustic engine, which has a looped tube and resonator. Two different acoustic oscillations are observed in the tested engine [Yu ZB, Li Q, Chen X, Guo FZ, Xie XJ, Wu JH. Investigation on the oscillation modes in a thermoacoustic stirling prime mover: mode stability and mode transition. Cryogenics 2003;43(12):687-91]. In this paper, they are called two acoustic modes, high frequency mode (with a frequency independent of the resonator length) and low frequency mode (with a frequency depending on the resonator length). Experimental results indicate that the relative penetration depth (the ratio of penetration depth over hydraulic radius) plays an important role in the excitation and pressure amplitude of the two acoustic modes. For each tested regenerator hydraulic radius, there is a measured optimal relative penetration depth, which leads to the lowest onset temperature difference. Note that, in the tested engine, the measured optimal relative viscous penetration depths are in the range 3-5 (for low frequency mode). Furthermore, experimental results also show that the resonator length affects the presence of high frequency mode in this engine.     

热声发动机驱动阻容负载的实验研究

进行了热声发动机驱动阻容负载的实验研究,分析讨论了阻容负载中声阻和容抗对整机性能的影响.首次通过实验验证了当声阻与容抗相等时,热声发动机向阻容负载传递的声功率最大.以氦气为工质,在充气压力2.1 MPa、加热功率2 000W的条件下,采用110 cm3的气库,在1台驻波型热声发动机上获得了最大43.1 W的声功率输出.     

A simple method to determine the frequency of engine-included thermoacoustic systems

Frequency determination is important for the simulation of a thermoacoustic system consisting of a thermoacoustic engine. Based on the characteristics of linear acoustics, this article proposes a simple method for frequency calculation through numeric investigation. According to the method, frequency value can be decided if it leads to an inflexion point of the amplitude of volume flow rate, which is also a local minimum, most close to the volume flow rate node boundary. Compared with experimental data, the method proves to be very reliable. Besides, a concept of virtual tube is also proposed for frequency determination of thermoacoustic systems with no apparent geometrically-closed end.     

声学放大器对热声发动机性能的影响

对声学放大器的声功传输能力以及其对热声发动机性能的影响进行了实验研究,发现声学发大器只有在一定条件下才能提高热声发动机的输出压比,当末端阻抗减小时其放大能力也减小.声学放大器本身也是一个声学阻力部件,如果仅以负载引出功计算热声发动机的效率,声学放大器在输出端负载阻抗较大时能够提高系统热效率,当负载阻抗减小后,它将使发动机的热效率急剧降低.     

Effect of different working gases on the performance of a small thermoacoustic Stirling engine

The performance of a small thermoacoustic Stirling heat engine (TASHE) was investigated with three kinds of working gases experimentally and numerically. The examined performances focused on the operating frequency, onset temperature, pressure amplitude and some temperature characteristics after onset. The working frequency with nitrogen, argon and helium as the working gas was 45 Hz, 42 Hz and 130 Hz, respectively. The engine worked with helium in a much wider range of mean pressure than with nitrogen and argon. There was an optimal mean pressure for the minimum onset temperature for each working media. Using nitrogen and argon as working gas rather than helium, another optimal mean pressure for the highest pressure ratio was obtained in the experiment. The loop dimension was indispensable in determining the frequency and the highest pressure ratio was observed in the resonator cavity.     

带压力放大器的驻波型热声发动机驱动RC负载

进行了驻波型热声发动机压力放大器长度对系统性能的影响的模拟及实验研究,发现压力放大器的实际最佳长度应该小于系统波长,并且受热声发动机的加热功率、工作压力和负载大小的影响;在负载声阻固定的情况下,一定范围内振动频率、加热温度、负载入口声功随着压力放大器长度的增大而增大;压力放大器可以提高负载入口声功和效率,在本实验的热声系统中接入3.45 m压力放大器后,热声发动机的效率由1.45%提高到3.32%.     

定加热温度下热声发动机声功输出特性研究

对定加热温度下行波热声发动机驱动阻容负载进行了数值模拟,分析讨论了声阻和容抗对声功输出的影响。以氦气为工质,在充气压力为3 MPa、加热温度为923 K的条件下,对不同气库体积的热声系统进行了模拟;此外,还采用负体积气库模拟了阻抗虚部为正值的情况。计算结果表明,容抗值较大时,在负载相位角约为-45°(或45°)时,声功率存在一个极大值;当容抗值较小时,声功率会出现两个极大值和一个极小值,且在负载阻抗相位角约为-45°(或45°)时为极小值;此外,声功输出最大值与效率最大值对应的阻抗并不相同。     

热声制冷技术的研究状况

对国内外热声制冷技术的研究状况进行了综述 ,总结了热声制冷的各种特点与待解决的问题 ,并提出了目前该领域研究的几个热点方向。     

Experimental investigation of transient nonlinear phenomena in an annular thermoacoustic prime-mover: observation of a double-threshold effect

Thermoacoustic engines have been subjected to numerous studies for the past 10 years. Our current research is focused on the transient regime in an annular thermoacoustic prime-mover. It appears that several nonlinear phenomena can play a role in the amplification and saturation regimes. Indeed, acoustically induced conductivity, forced convection due to acoustic streaming, minor loss phenomenon, and saturation due to harmonic generation can be quoted among the others. The experiments presented here show for the first time a double-threshold phenomenon during the amplification regime. The first threshold, which corresponds to the setting of the thermoacoustic instability, is followed by a saturation regime. Then after a time delay, without any changes in the control parameters, a second threshold corresponding to an additional amplification has been observed.     

Construction and performance of a thermoacoustic refrigerator

This paper deals with the construction and performance of a thermoacoustic refrigerator. The manufacturing of the different components of the apparatus will be explained along with the reasons for using specific materials. The setup consists of three major parts: The refrigerator which is contained in a vacuum vessel, the electronic apparatus necessary for the measurements and acquisition of the experimental data, and the gas-control panel which is used to fill and purge the system and to prepare gas mixtures. The system is assembled and the first measurements show a good behavior. A low temperature of −65 °C is achieved which is one of the lowest reported temperatures up to date.     

Experimental study of quasi-periodic on-off phenomena in a small-scale traveling wave thermoacoustic heat engine

Periodic and spontaneous on-off oscillation belongs to the onset and damping behaviors of thermoacoustic engines, and investigations on this phenomenon lead to better operation of the thermoacoustic engines with stable performances. In this paper, the quasi- periodic on-off oscillation in a small-scale traveling wave thermoacoustic heat engine with a resonator length of only 1 m was experimentally investigated. The type of working media, mean pressure and the input heating power are the main operating parameters, which significantly affect the formation of the periodic on-off oscillation. The experimental results demonstrated there was a critical charge pressure over which the periodic on-off oscillation could happen. For the small- scale engine with helium gas as the working media, the mean pressure threshold value was about 1.4 MPa and the on-off oscillation occurred with a single frequency. Using nitrogen and argon gas as the working media, the on-off oscillation was not observed. The reason was qualitatively analyzed as well.     

Numerical investigation on a 300 Hz pulse tube cryocooler driven by a three-stage traveling-wave thermoacoustic heat engine

A 300 Hz pulse tube cryocooler (PTC) driven by a three-stage traveling-wave thermoacoustic heat engine (TSTHE) has been proposed and studied in this paper. In the configuration, three identical thermoacoustic heat engine units are evenly incorporated in a closed traveling-wave loop, in which three pulse tube cryocoolers are connected to the branch of each thermoacoustic heat engine. Compared with the conventional thermoacoustic heat engine which involves a traveling-wave loop and a long resonator, it has advantages of compact size and potentially high thermal efficiency. A TSTHE–PTC system was designed, optimized and studied in detail based on the thermoacoustic theory. Firstly, numerical simulation was conducted to design the system thus the optimum structure parameters of the system were obtained. With the operating condition of 4 MPa mean pressure and high working frequency, a cooling power of 7.75 W at 77 K and an overall relative Carnot efficiency of 11.78% were achieved. In order to better understand the energy conversion characteristics of the system, distributions of key parameters such as acoustic work, phase difference, dynamic pressure, volume flow rate and exergy loss were presented and discussed. Then, the coupling mechanism of the system was investigated. In addition, influence of coupling position on the system performance was further studied.     

热声发动机用声学放大器的改进研究

声学放大器是一种可显著提高热声发动机输出压力振幅和压比的装置,存在的主要问题是声功损失过大.通过理论研究,提出采用较大管径进一步提高声学放大器性能的方法,称为改进型声学放大器.实验结果表明:该声学放大器在大幅度提升输出压比的同时,没有明显降低发动机内的压比和破坏发动机内部声场,能使发动机工作在较高的品质状态.采用变负载法测量声功的实验结果也表明,改进型的声学放大器有效地解决了声功损失过大的问题.     

回热器参数对热声发动机性能影响的理论及实验研究

针对本实验室的行波热声发动机系统,研究了回热器对系统的重要作用.利用建立在线性热声理论基础上的模块化程序预测了不同回热器下系统的工作性能,并结合实验进一步分析比较了不同回热器对系统性能的影响.实验结果表明,低目数丝网填充的回热器更容易使系统起振,同时,起振温度随着工作压力的增加而降低;相同的输入功率和充气压力下,压比和加热块温度都随着目数的增大而升高;相同输入功率和目数下,压比和加热块温度随充气压力的增大而降低;丝网目数对系统频率的影响很小.     

Network model approach for calculating oscillating frequency of thermoacoustic prime mover

The network model is given and used to calculate the oscillating frequency of thermoacoustic prime mover. Theoretically calculated frequency by the model is plural, whose real part denotes actual frequency of the system, and imaginary part means attenuation coefficient of acoustic pressure. Numerical calculation is made under different conditions including different acoustic cavities, spacing between each parallel plate, gas pressures and system lengths. Theoretically calculated frequency and experimentally measured frequency are in quite good agreement.     

热声系统跳频现象研究

进行了带声压放大器的驻波型热声驱动RC负载的实验研究,在实验中观察到频率跳变现象,根据驻波型热声系统的运行模式,对跳频现象出现的声阻范围、跳频现象随加热功率的变化关系以及跳频现象和声压放大器长度的关系进行了归纳和总结.     

Influence of resonance tube length on performance of thermoacoustically driven pulse tube refrigerator

A resonance tube is an important component of a thermoacoustic engine, which has great influence on the performance of the thermoacoustically driven pulse tube refrigerator. A standing wave thermoacoustic engine is simulated with linear thermoacoustics. Computed results show that an appropriate accretion of the resonance tube length may lead to a decrease of the working frequency and an increase of the pressure amplitude, which will improve the match between the thermoacoustic engine and the pulse tube refrigerator. The theoretical prediction is verified by experiments. A refrigeration temperature as low as 88.6 K has been achieved with an optimized length of the resonance tube, helium as working gas, and 2200 W of heating power.