The experimental studies of thermoacoustic cooler

The experimental studies of thermoacoustic cooler consisting of acoustic loop-tube were carried out. The loop-tube was tilled with the mixture of air and helium gas or air at atmospheric pressure. The dimensions of the loop-tube were 3.3 m of length, 44 mm of inner diameter and 4 mm of thickness. A pair of stacks (stack 1 and stack 2) which were sandwiched between two heat exchangers was placed symmetrically in the loop-tube. Stack 1 was employed as a prime mover and stack 2 as a heat pump. The self-sustained sound generated by the thermoacoustic effect and the cooling phenomena at the stack 2 were observed. The distribution of the sound pressures and the waveforms in the loop-tube were measured, and the frequency component of the self-sustained sound was investigated at the starting phase. The fundamental frequency component was confirmed and it was developing as the sound pressure increasing. The higher harmonics frequency components were generated and they were also developing. (C) 2004 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.