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Thermoacoustic prime movers and refrigerators: Thermally powered engines without moving components

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  • Jin, Tao
  • Huang, Jiale
  • Feng, Ye
  • Yang, Rui
  • Tang, Ke
  • Radebaugh, Ray

Abstract

Thermoacoustic engines attract much attention for their lack of moving parts and relatively benign environmental impact. In this review, an introduction of the thermoacoustic effect is supported by a summary of related theoretical models for thermoacoustics. An overview of the current research and experimental prototypes including typical thermoacoustic prime movers, thermoacoustic refrigerators, thermoacoustically driven pulse tube refrigerators, thermoacoustic generators and miniature thermoacoustic engines is presented. The worldwide research activities and the related advances in the thermoacoustic engines, mainly in past 30 years, are reviewed in details. Finally, we present a short summary of promotional studies and perspectives in this developing research field.

Suggested Citation

  • Jin, Tao & Huang, Jiale & Feng, Ye & Yang, Rui & Tang, Ke & Radebaugh, Ray, 2015. "Thermoacoustic prime movers and refrigerators: Thermally powered engines without moving components," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 93(P1), pages 828-853.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:energy:v:93:y:2015:i:p1:p:828-853
    DOI: 10.1016/j.energy.2015.09.005
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

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    3. Jin, Tao & Yang, Rui & Wang, Yi & Liu, Yuanliang & Feng, Ye, 2016. "Phase adjustment analysis and performance of a looped thermoacoustic prime mover with compliance/resistance tube," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 183(C), pages 290-298.
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    5. 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.
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    8. 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.
    9. Bi, Tianjiao & Wu, Zhanghua & Chen, Wei & Zhang, Limin & Luo, Ercang & Zhang, Bin, 2022. "Numerical and experimental research on a high-power 4-stage looped travelling-wave thermoacoustic electric generator," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 239(PB).
    10. Zhang, Yutao & Shi, Xueqiang & Li, Yaqing & Zhang, Yuanbo & Liu, Yurui, 2020. "Characteristics of thermoacoustic conversion and coupling effect at different temperature gradients," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 197(C).
    11. Sindhu Preetham Burugupally & Leland Weiss, 2018. "Power Generation via Small Length Scale Thermo-Mechanical Systems: Current Status and Challenges, a Review," Energies, MDPI, vol. 11(9), pages 1-22, August.
    12. Armando Di Meglio & Nicola Massarotti, 2022. "CFD Modeling of Thermoacoustic Energy Conversion: A Review," Energies, MDPI, vol. 15(10), pages 1-38, May.
    13. Liu, Shaoshuai & Chen, Xi & Zhang, Ankuo & Jiang, Zhenhua & Wu, Yinong & Zhang, Hua, 2017. "Investigation of the inertance tube of a pulse tube refrigerator operating at high temperatures," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 123(C), pages 378-385.
    14. Napolitano, Marialuisa & Romano, Rosario & Dragonetti, Raffaele, 2017. "Open-cell foams for thermoacoustic applications," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 138(C), pages 147-156.
    15. Wang, Bo & Chao, Yijun & Zhao, Qinyu & Wang, Haoren & Wang, Yabin & Gan, Zhihua, 2021. "A high efficiency stirling-type pulse tube refrigerator for cooling above 200 K," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 215(PB).
    16. Xu, Jingyuan & Yu, Guoyao & Zhang, Limin & Dai, Wei & Luo, Ercang, 2017. "Theoretical analysis of two coupling modes of a 300-Hz three-stage thermoacoustically driven cryocooler system at liquid nitrogen temperature range," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 185(P2), pages 2134-2141.
    17. 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).
    18. Zhu, Shaowei, 2018. "A new concept of cold resonator pulse tube refrigerator," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 144(C), pages 1026-1036.
    19. Yang, Rui & Meir, Avishai & Ramon, Guy Z., 2022. "A standing-wave, phase-change thermoacoustic engine: Experiments and model projections," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 258(C).
    20. Wang, Xin & Xu, Jingyuan & Wu, Zhanghua & Luo, Ercang, 2022. "A thermoacoustic refrigerator with multiple-bypass expansion cooling configuration for natural gas liquefaction," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 313(C).

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