The effect of housing volume of a converting loudspeaker on the output electric power of a loudspeaker-based acoustic energy harvester

Acoustic energy harvester is a device that converts sound or acoustic energy into electrical energy. Generally, the main components of this instrument are an acoustic transducer and an acoustic resonator. In this study, the transducer used was a 4-inch woofer loudspeaker, without acoustic resonator but equipped with a cylindrical housing with a fixed cross-sectional area and a length that can be varied from 6 cm until 25 cm by using a piston. Experimental results for various housing volumes showed a similar pattern of the dependence of the generated electric power on the incoming sound frequencies. In addition, it was found that (within the range of the volume variations) the output electric power increased significantly when the volume of the housing was increased. The highest root-mean-square (rms) electric power obtained was 1.72 mW resulting from sound with a sound pressure level (SPL) of 105 dB and a frequency of 84 Hz and by using a length of the housing cylinder of 25 cm (housing volume of 3243.7 cm³)

The effect of type of sound damper material in the Helmholtz resonator to the output power spectrum of acoustic energy Harvester

<span>Acoustic energy harvesting is one o</span><span lang="EN-US">f</span><span> many ways to harness </span><span lang="EN-US">acoustic </span><span>noises as wasted energy into use</span><span lang="EN-US">f</span><span>ul </span><span lang="EN-US">electical </span><span>energy using an acoustic </span><span>energy harvester. </span><span>Acoustic </span><span>energy harvester t</span><span lang="EN-US">h</span><span>at tested by Dimastya (2018) </span><span lang="EN-US">which is consisted of loudspeake</span><span>r </span><span lang="EN-US">and Helmholtz resonator, </span><span>produced two-peak spectrum. It is </span><span lang="EN-US">suspected</span><span> that the </span><span lang="EN-US">f</span><span>irst peak </span><span lang="EN-US">is due t</span><span>o </span><span lang="EN-US">Helmholtz</span><span> resonator resonance and the second peak </span><span lang="EN-US">comes</span><span lang="EN-US">from the resonance of the conversion </span><span>loudspeaker. </span><span lang="EN-US">This research is to experimentally confirm the guess of the origin of the first peak. The experiments are performed by adding silencer materials on the resonator inner wall which are expected to be able to reduce the height of first peak and to know </span><span>how </span><span lang="EN-US">they</span><span> a</span><span lang="EN-US">ff</span><span>ect t</span><span>he output electric power spectrum o</span><span lang="EN-US">f</span><span> t</span><span>he acoustic energy harvester. </span><span lang="EN-US">Three different silencer materials are used, those are</span><span> glasswool, acoustic </span><span lang="EN-US">f</span><span>oam, and styro</span><span lang="EN-US">f</span><span>oam</span><span lang="EN-US">,</span><span> with</span><span lang="EN-US"> the same thickness of</span><span> 12 cm. </span><span lang="EN-US">The r</span><span>esult</span><span lang="EN-US">s</span><span> show that glasswool absorb</span><span lang="EN-US">s</span><span> sound more e</span><span lang="EN-US">ff</span><span>ectively than acostic </span><span lang="EN-US">f</span><span>oam and styro</span><span lang="EN-US">f</span><span>oam. The use o</span><span lang="EN-US">f</span><span> glasswool, acoustic </span><span lang="EN-US">f</span><span>oam, and styro</span><span lang="EN-US">f</span><span>oam with 12 cm thickness lowered the </span><span lang="EN-US">f</span><span>irst peak </span><span lang="EN-US">by</span><span> 90% (</span><span lang="EN-US">f</span><span>rom 39 mW to 0,5 mW), 82% (</span><span lang="EN-US">f</span><span>rom 39 mW to 0,7 mW), and 82% (</span><span lang="EN-US">f</span><span>rom 39 mW to 0,7 mW), respectively. </span><span lang="EN-US">Based on these results, it is concluded that the guess of the origin of the first peak is confirmed.</span>

SUNTRACKER

A SUNTRACKER (illustrated in figure1), is a Concentrating Solar Power (CSP) unit, in the category of solar dish engines. The novel solar dish engine module (shown in figure 2) is designed to provide 10.1kW electric power (measured at the engine output electric power lugs), from a conversion of 21kW solar energy from the solar dish reflective sun light to the high temperature receiver focal point. Total electric power output from the solar dish engine module is attributed to combined cycles, closed brayton cycle (CBC) and a organic rankine cycle (ORC), both of which are hermetically sealed to atmosphere. The CBC engine receives 21kW solar energy from a solar dish, estimated to have 27 square meters (291 square feet) reflective surface area. However, unlike the photovoltaic (PV) units, the SUNTRACKER will provide increased use of available solar energy from sunlight. Concentrated sunlight from the dish will focus on the CBC engine receiver, which in turn heats the working fluid media to as much as 1600F, pending the ratio of solar dish to receiver areas. A specific gas mixture of xenon/helium, with excellent thermodynamic properties is used for the high temperature application. Turbomachinery in the CBC engine has one moving part / assembly (compressor impeller, alternator rotor and turbine rotor), mounted on compliant foil bearings. Reference figure 4 as an example. The engine operates with a compressor impeller stage pressure ratio 1.6, and is recuperated. Electric power, measured at the CBC engine electric power lugs, is 6.4kW. The CBC engine is not new, (a closed Brayton cycle, sealed to atmosphere) [1], [4], [8], [18], [19]. However, the application to extract thermal energy from the sunlight and provide electric power in commercial and residential use is (patented). In addition, to increase the efficiency of solar energy conversion to electric power, waste heat from the CBC engine provides thermal energy to an ORC engine, to generate an additional electrical output of 3.7kW (measured at the output electric power lugs). With use of an ORC system, the size of the radiator (CBC unit) for heat rejection is reduced significantly. Working fluid HFC-RC245fa [10] was selected for the ORC unit, based on the low temperature application. Also, as with the CBC turbomachinery, the ORC rotor assembly has one moving part, comprised of a pump impeller, alternator rotor and turbine rotor. With the two engines combined, total system thermal efficiency is 48% (10.1kW electric power out / 21kW solar energy in). However, power electronics are needed for conversion of high frequency voltage at the engine output electric power leads to 60/50 Hz power, for customer use. Power electronics losses for this machine, debits the power 0.5 kW. Thus total electric power to the customer, as measured at power electronics output terminals, is 9.6kW. With solar energy, from the reflective sunlight solar dish 21kW and measured output power from the power electronics 9.6kW, the conversion of solar energy to useful electric power an efficiency 46% (i.e. 9.6kW / 21kW). In addition, the design does not require external water / liquid for cooling.