Jove
Visualize
Contact Us

Related Experiment Videos

A cascade thermoacoustic engine.

D L Gardner1, G W Swift

  • 1Condensed Matter and Thermal Physics Group, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, New Mexico 87545, USA.

The Journal of the Acoustical Society of America
|November 1, 2003
PubMed
Summary

This study presents a novel cascade thermoacoustic engine, achieving 20% efficiency by combining standing-wave and traveling-wave stages. Future designs aim for higher efficiencies approaching Carnot limits.

Related Concept Videos

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Thermoacoustic Soret separation.

The Journal of the Acoustical Society of America·2022
Same author

Microscopical appearance and organization of articular cartilage surfaces.

Annals of the rheumatic diseases·2014
Same author

James Bell Pettigrew (1832-1908).

The journal of the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh·2014
Same author

High-purity thermoacoustic isotope enrichment.

The Journal of the Acoustical Society of America·2014
Same author

Pyrrolizidine alkaloid toxicity in livestock: a paradigm for human poisoning?

Food additives & contaminants. Part A, Chemistry, analysis, control, exposure & risk assessment·2011
Same author

The pulse tube and the pendulum.

The Journal of the Acoustical Society of America·2009
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Area of Science:

  • Thermodynamics
  • Acoustic Engineering
  • Energy Conversion

Background:

  • Thermoacoustic engines offer a promising alternative for heat-to-power conversion.
  • Previous designs faced limitations in efficiency and scalability.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To design and evaluate a novel cascade thermoacoustic engine.
  • To investigate the performance of a series configuration of standing-wave and traveling-wave stages.
  • To achieve high acoustic power output and efficiency.

Main Methods:

  • A cascade engine was constructed with one standing-wave stage and two traveling-wave stages in series.
  • Acoustic power, heater power, and temperatures were measured.
  • Performance was analyzed by comparing experimental data with theoretical calculations.

Main Results:

  • The cascade engine delivered up to 2 kW of acoustic power with an efficiency of 20%.
  • Traveling-wave stages were identified as the primary contributors to acoustic power generation.
  • Good agreement was observed between measured and calculated powers and temperatures, with discrepancies attributed to Rayleigh streaming.

Conclusions:

  • The straight-line series configuration is practical and avoids Gedeon streaming.
  • The developed engine demonstrates significant acoustic power output and reasonable efficiency.
  • Further optimization could lead to cascade thermoacoustic engines achieving 35-40% of Carnot efficiency.

Related Experiment Videos