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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:

    1. 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).
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    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. 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.
    6. 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).
    7. Armando Di Meglio & Nicola Massarotti, 2022. "CFD Modeling of Thermoacoustic Energy Conversion: A Review," Energies, MDPI, vol. 15(10), pages 1-38, May.
    8. 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.
    9. Yang, Rui & Wang, Junxiang & Luo, Ercang, 2023. "Revisiting the evaporative Stirling engine: The mechanism and a case study via thermoacoustic theory," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 273(C).
    10. 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.
    11. 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).
    12. Napolitano, Marialuisa & Romano, Rosario & Dragonetti, Raffaele, 2017. "Open-cell foams for thermoacoustic applications," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 138(C), pages 147-156.
    13. Hu, Yiwei & Luo, Kaiqi & Zhao, Dan & Chi, Jiaxin & Chen, Geng & Chen, Yuanhang & Luo, Ercang & Xu, Jingyuan, 2024. "Thermoacoustic micro-CHP system for low-grade thermal energy utilization in residential buildings," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 298(C).
    14. 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).
    15. Luo, Kaiqi & Luo, Ercang & Xie, Xiaoyun & Jiang, Yi, 2024. "A highly efficient heat-driven thermoacoustic system for room-temperature refrigeration by using novel configuration," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 357(C).
    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).
    21. Guo, Lixian & Zhao, Dan & Cheng, Li & Dong, Xu & Xu, Jingyuan, 2024. "Enhancing energy conversion performances in standing-wave thermoacoustic engine with externally forcing periodic oscillations," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 292(C).
    22. 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.
    23. 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).

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