Critical Design Elements for Traveling Wave Thermoacoustic Engines

Thermoacoustic technology potentially offers a sustainable and reliable solution to help address the continuing demand for electric power. Thermoacoustic devices, operating on the principle of standing or traveling acoustic waves, can be designed as a heat pump or a prime mover system. This technical strategy is environmentally friendly as it utilizes noble gases, or air, as the working fluid and does not directly produce harmful emissions. However, heating and cooling sources are required to create the required thermal gradient. Due to the inherit simplicity and limitation of moving components, thermoacoustic devices require little maintenance and have a forecasted long operational lifespan. This paper will present the design considerations necessary to construct a traveling wave thermoacoustic heat engine. The modeling, analysis, fabrication, and testing with integrated sensors will be discussed to offer insight into the capabilities and subtleties. A case study with system operation at 54 Hz and 7.8% thermal to acoustic efficiency will be presented.