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Investigation on a 1kW traveling-wave thermoacoustic electrical generator

Author

Listed:
  • Wu, Zhanghua
  • Zhang, Limin
  • Dai, Wei
  • Luo, Ercang

Abstract

Traveling-wave thermoacoustic heat engine is a special device capable of converting external heat to acoustic work with high reliability and high potential efficiency. By coupling with a linear alternator, it can be further developed as a new kind of electricity generator called the traveling-wave thermoacoustic electrical generator. In this paper, a prototype of 1kW traveling-wave thermoacoustic electrical generator was designed and tested. In the preliminary experiments, due to the high clearance seal loss caused by the pistons of the alternator, only 638W electric power with 16.6% thermal-to-electrical efficiency was obtained, which was far below our expectation. After further investigation, the acoustic impedance coupling relationship between the engine and alternator was first revealed by means of numerical approach. According to this relationship, the working frequency was decreased in the experiments from 74Hz to 64Hz by charging 4.5% mole fraction argon gas into the system. And a maximum electric power of 1043W with a thermal-to-electrical efficiency of 17.7% and a maximum thermal-to-electrical efficiency of 19.8% with an electric power were of 970W were obtained successfully. Other operating conditions were a mean pressure of 4.0MPa, a heating temperature of 650°C and a cooling temperature of 15°C. So far, the output electric power and efficiency are the highest values for such a thermoacoustic electrical generator. This work presents a new kind of thermal electric power generator, which is believed to be suitable for many applications in the energy area, such as solar energy, industrial waste heat and so on.

Suggested Citation

  • Wu, Zhanghua & Zhang, Limin & Dai, Wei & Luo, Ercang, 2014. "Investigation on a 1kW traveling-wave thermoacoustic electrical generator," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 124(C), pages 140-147.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:appene:v:124:y:2014:i:c:p:140-147
    DOI: 10.1016/j.apenergy.2014.02.063
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Yu, Zhibin & Jaworski, Artur J. & Backhaus, Scott, 2012. "Travelling-wave thermoacoustic electricity generator using an ultra-compliant alternator for utilization of low-grade thermal energy," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 99(C), pages 135-145.
    2. Sun, D.M. & Wang, K. & Zhang, X.J. & Guo, Y.N. & Xu, Y. & Qiu, L.M., 2013. "A traveling-wave thermoacoustic electric generator with a variable electric R-C load," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 106(C), pages 377-382.
    3. S. Backhaus & G. W. Swift, 1999. "A thermoacoustic Stirling heat engine," Nature, Nature, vol. 399(6734), pages 335-338, May.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. Chen, Geng & Tang, Lihua & Mace, Brian & Yu, Zhibin, 2021. "Multi-physics coupling in thermoacoustic devices: A review," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 146(C).
    2. Xiao, Lei & Luo, Kaiqi & Zhao, Dan & Chen, Geng & Bi, Tianjiao & Xu, Jingyuan & Luo, Ercang, 2023. "Time-domain acoustic-electrical analogy investigation on a high-power traveling-wave thermoacoustic electric generator," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 263(PE).
    3. Hu, J.Y. & Luo, E.C. & Zhang, L.M. & Chen, Y.Y. & Wu, Z.H. & Gao, B., 2018. "Analysis of a displacer-coupled multi-stage thermoacoustic-Stirling engine," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 145(C), pages 507-514.
    4. Zhu, Shunmin & Wang, Tong & Jiang, Chao & Wu, Zhanghua & Yu, Guoyao & Hu, Jianying & Markides, Christos N. & Luo, Ercang, 2023. "Experimental and numerical study of a liquid metal magnetohydrodynamic generator for thermoacoustic power generation," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 348(C).
    5. Hou, Mingyu & Wu, Zhanghua & Yu, Guoyao & Hu, Jianying & Luo, Ercang, 2018. "A thermoacoustic Stirling electrical generator for cold exergy recovery of liquefied nature gas," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 226(C), pages 389-396.
    6. Al-Kayiem, Ali & Yu, Zhibin, 2016. "Numerical investigation of a looped-tube travelling-wave thermoacoustic engine with a bypass pipe," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 112(C), pages 111-120.
    7. Wang, Kai & Dubey, Swapnil & Choo, Fook Hoong & Duan, Fei, 2017. "Thermoacoustic Stirling power generation from LNG cold energy and low-temperature waste heat," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 127(C), pages 280-290.
    8. Wu, Zhanghua & Yu, Guoyao & Zhang, Limin & Dai, Wei & Luo, Ercang, 2014. "Development of a 3kW double-acting thermoacoustic Stirling electric generator," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 136(C), pages 866-872.
    9. Zhu, Shunmin & Yu, Guoyao & O, Jongmin & Xu, Tao & Wu, Zhanghua & Dai, Wei & Luo, Ercang, 2018. "Modeling and experimental investigation of a free-piston Stirling engine-based micro-combined heat and power system," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 226(C), pages 522-533.
    10. Wang, Kai & Sanders, Seth R. & Dubey, Swapnil & Choo, Fook Hoong & Duan, Fei, 2016. "Stirling cycle engines for recovering low and moderate temperature heat: A review," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 62(C), pages 89-108.
    11. Bi, Tianjiao & Wu, Zhanghua & Zhang, Limin & Yu, Guoyao & Luo, Ercang & Dai, Wei, 2017. "Development of a 5kW traveling-wave thermoacoustic electric generator," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 185(P2), pages 1355-1361.
    12. Wang, Kai & Sun, Daming & Zhang, Jie & Xu, Ya & Zou, Jiang & Wu, Ke & Qiu, Limin & Huang, Zhiyi, 2015. "Operating characteristics and performance improvements of a 500W traveling-wave thermoacoustic electric generator," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 160(C), pages 853-862.
    13. Meir, Avishai & Offner, Avshalom & Ramon, Guy Z., 2018. "Low-temperature energy conversion using a phase-change acoustic heat engine," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 231(C), pages 372-379.
    14. Luo, Jiaqi & Zhou, Qiang & Jin, Tao, 2023. "Theoretical and experimental investigation of acoustic field adjustment of a gas-liquid standing-wave thermoacoustic engine," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 276(C).

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