IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/eee/appene/v160y2015icp853-862.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Operating characteristics and performance improvements of a 500W traveling-wave thermoacoustic electric generator

Author

Listed:
  • Wang, Kai
  • Sun, Daming
  • Zhang, Jie
  • Xu, Ya
  • Zou, Jiang
  • Wu, Ke
  • Qiu, Limin
  • Huang, Zhiyi

Abstract

Traveling-wave thermoacoustic electric generator has drawn increasing attention due to its great prospect in energy conversion. In this work, a traveling-wave thermoacoustic electric generator capable of generating about 500W electric power is studied numerically and experimentally. The performances and the operating characteristics of the system under different working conditions are tested and analyzed. The maximum electric powers can be obtained with electric load resistance around 100–120Ω, and the highest thermal-to-electric efficiencies can be achieved at much larger load resistances. The efficiency at low load resistance is relatively small due to the large pressure amplitudes inside the thermoacoustic system, which increases the dissipations. The variation trends of the electric power and the thermal-to-electric efficiency with the load resistance intrinsically result from the changes of the corresponding acoustic impedance of the linear alternators, which determines the output performance of the thermoacoustic engine meanwhile. The distributions of the acoustic power losses are then calculated and firstly illustrated quantitatively. It is shown that the resonator causes most of the acoustic power losses, and the losses in hot heat exchanger, thermal buffer tube, and feedback tube are also significant. The output performance of the system can be improved by increasing the heating temperature and the mean pressure. A maximum electric power of 473.6W and a highest thermal-to-electric efficiency of 14.5% are achieved experimentally when the mean pressure is 2.48MPa and the heating temperature is 650°C. A pair of linear alternators with a larger swept volume and appropriate acoustic impedances is finally designed to couple with the thermoacoustic torus directly. Numerical results show that the maximum electric power can be increased to 718W and 1005W when the mean pressures are kept at 2.48MPa and 3.20MPa, corresponding to the improvements of 42.6% and 29.4% compared with those of the original system.

Suggested Citation

  • 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.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:appene:v:160:y:2015:i:c:p:853-862
    DOI: 10.1016/j.apenergy.2015.03.085
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0306261915003876
    Download Restriction: Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1016/j.apenergy.2015.03.085?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Kang, Huifang & Cheng, Peng & Yu, Zhibin & Zheng, Hongfei, 2015. "A two-stage traveling-wave thermoacoustic electric generator with loudspeakers as alternators," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 137(C), pages 9-17.
    2. 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.
    3. Gou, Xiaolong & Xiao, Heng & Yang, Suwen, 2010. "Modeling, experimental study and optimization on low-temperature waste heat thermoelectric generator system," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 87(10), pages 3131-3136, October.
    4. 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.
    5. Mercaldo, Lucia Vittoria & Addonizio, Maria Luisa & Noce, Marco Della & Veneri, Paola Delli & Scognamiglio, Alessandra & Privato, Carlo, 2009. "Thin film silicon photovoltaics: Architectural perspectives and technological issues," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 86(10), pages 1836-1844, October.
    6. S. Backhaus & G. W. Swift, 1999. "A thermoacoustic Stirling heat engine," Nature, Nature, vol. 399(6734), pages 335-338, May.
    7. Wang, Yun & Chen, Ken S. & Mishler, Jeffrey & Cho, Sung Chan & Adroher, Xavier Cordobes, 2011. "A review of polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells: Technology, applications, and needs on fundamental research," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 88(4), pages 981-1007, April.
    8. 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.
    9. 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.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Wang, Kai & Dubey, Swapnil & Choo, Fook Hoong & Duan, Fei, 2016. "Modelling of pulse tube refrigerators with inertance tube and mass-spring feedback mechanism," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 171(C), pages 172-183.
    2. 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.
    3. 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).
    4. 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.
    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.
    6. 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).
    7. 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.
    8. Kisha, Wigdan & Riley, Paul & McKechnie, Jon & Hann, David, 2021. "Asymmetrically heated multi-stage travelling-wave thermoacoustic electricity generator," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 235(C).
    9. Hu, J.Y. & Luo, E.C. & Dai, W. & Zhang, L.M., 2017. "Parameter sensitivity analysis of duplex Stirling coolers," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 190(C), pages 1039-1046.
    10. 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.
    11. 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.
    12. Zhou, Zhiyong & Qin, Weiyang & Zhu, Pei, 2017. "Harvesting acoustic energy by coherence resonance of a bi-stable piezoelectric harvester," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 126(C), pages 527-534.
    13. Chen, Geng & Wang, Yufan & Tang, Lihua & Wang, Kai & Yu, Zhibin, 2020. "Large eddy simulation of thermally induced oscillatory flow in a thermoacoustic engine," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 276(C).
    14. 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.
    15. Augusto Montisci & Marco Caredda, 2021. "A Static Hybrid Renewable Energy System for Off-Grid Supply," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(17), pages 1-16, August.
    16. Zhou, Zhiyong & Qin, Weiyang & Zhu, Pei & Shang, Shijie, 2018. "Scavenging wind energy by a Y-shaped bi-stable energy harvester with curved wings," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 153(C), pages 400-412.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. 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.
    2. 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.
    3. 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.
    4. 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).
    5. Kisha, Wigdan & Riley, Paul & McKechnie, Jon & Hann, David, 2021. "Asymmetrically heated multi-stage travelling-wave thermoacoustic electricity generator," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 235(C).
    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. Kang, Huifang & Cheng, Peng & Yu, Zhibin & Zheng, Hongfei, 2015. "A two-stage traveling-wave thermoacoustic electric generator with loudspeakers as alternators," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 137(C), pages 9-17.
    8. 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).
    9. 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.
    10. 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).
    11. Hamood, Ahmed & Jaworski, Artur J. & Mao, Xiaoan & Simpson, Kevin, 2018. "Design and construction of a two-stage thermoacoustic electricity generator with push-pull linear alternator," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 144(C), pages 61-72.
    12. Callanan, J. & Nouh, M., 2019. "Optimal thermoacoustic energy extraction via temporal phase control and traveling wave generation," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 241(C), pages 599-612.
    13. Tavakolpour-Saleh, A.R. & Zare, Shahryar, 2021. "Justifying performance of thermo-acoustic Stirling engines based on a novel lumped mechanical model," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 227(C).
    14. 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.
    15. 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.
    16. 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).
    17. Napolitano, Marialuisa & Romano, Rosario & Dragonetti, Raffaele, 2017. "Open-cell foams for thermoacoustic applications," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 138(C), pages 147-156.
    18. 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.
    19. 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.
    20. Elhawary, M.A. & Ibrahim, Abdelmaged H. & Sabry, Ashraf S. & Abdel-Rahman, Ehab, 2020. "Experimental study of a small scale bi-directional axial impulse turbine for acoustic-to-mechanical power conversion," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 159(C), pages 414-426.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:eee:appene:v:160:y:2015:i:c:p:853-862. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Catherine Liu (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.elsevier.com/wps/find/journaldescription.cws_home/405891/description#description .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.