CFD Modeling and Performance Analysis of a Thermoacoustically Driven Thermoacoustic Refrigerator

Although thermoacoustic devices comprise simple components, the design of these machines is very challenging. In order to predict the behavior and optimize the performance of a thermoacoustic refrigerator driven by a standing-wave thermoacoustic engine, considering the changes in geometrical parameters, two analogies have been presented in this paper. The first analogy is based on CFD analysis where a 2D model is implemented to investigate the influence of stack parameters on the refrigerator performance, to analyze the time variation of the temperature gradient across the stack, and to examine the refrigerator performance in terms of refrigeration temperature. The second analogy is based on the use of an optimization algorithm based on the simplified linear thermoacoustic theory applied for designing thermoacoustic refrigerators with different stack parameters and operating conditions. Simulation results show that the engine produced a high-powered acoustic wave with a pressure amplitude of 23[Formula: see text]kPa and a frequency of 584[Formula: see text]Hz and this wave applies a temperature difference across the refrigeration stack with a cooling temperature of 292.8[Formula: see text]K when the stacks are positioned next to the pressure antinode. The results from the algorithm give the ability to design any thermoacoustic refrigerator with high performance by picking the appropriate parameters.

Miniaturized Traveling-Wave Thermoacoustic Refrigerator Driven by Loudspeaker: Numerical Design

Ordinary refrigeration systems such as vapor-compression refrigerators are the commonly used devices in industry, mostly for their high efficiencies. However, they make a significant contribution to the depletion of Ozone and global warming due to their operational refrigerants. Hence, thermoacoustic refrigeration can be a great alternative candidate which uses inert gases such as air, helium and nitrogen as the primary refrigerant. Thermoacoustic refrigerators convert the acoustic power (sound waves) into a thermal effect (cooling power). Thermoacoustics can be counted as a new technology that has a strong potential toward the development of the thermal applications. This study aims to design and fabricate miniaturized traveling wave thermoacoustic refrigerator which can be driven by an ordinary loudspeaker. The optimized numerical design of the refrigerator shows an overall efficiency (cooling power over input electricity) of nearly 66% at a temperature difference of 25[Formula: see text]K (between cold and ambient heat exchangers). The maximum estimated cooling power is 65[Formula: see text]W at coefficient of performance (COP) of 2.65.