Thermoacoustic convertors - Combined systems engine/generator

Basic notions of acoustic waves and a description of thermoacoustic effects can be found in the article [BE 8 060] "Thermoacoustic converters. Thermoacoustic effect". The articles [BE 8 061] , "Thermoacoustic converters. Thermoacoustic motors and coolers" or [BE 8 062] "Thermoacoustic converters. Dimensioning" deal separately with motors and generators. Surprisingly, over the past few years, research in the field of thermoacoustics has focused in two distinct directions: either on the study of the phenomenon of "thermal" amplification of an acoustic wave, or on cooling using pulsed gas tubes driven by various mechanical systems. The idea of eliminating all moving mechanical parts by activating a thermoacoustic cooler via a thermoacoustic motor is an attractive one. The technological choice then lies in the use of travelling or standing waves in each of the two machines. This article describes research carried out in numerous laboratories around the world, aimed at bringing thermoacoustic systems up to the same level of efficiency as more conventional energy converters.