Alpha-stream convertor
AssigneeUnited States of America as Represented by the Administrator of
InventorsRodger W. Dyson, Geoffrey A. Bruder
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A thermo-acoustic engine and/or cooler is provided and includes an elongated tubular body, multiple regenerators disposed within the body, multiple heat exchangers disposed within the body, where at least one heat exchanger is disposed adjacent to each of the multiple regenerators, multiple transducers axially disposed at each end of the body, and an acoustic wave source generating acoustic waves. At least one of the acoustic waves is amplified by one of the regenerators and at least another acoustic wave is amplified by a second one of regenerators.
Claims19
A method of operating a thermo-acoustic engine comprising:
- establishing a first temperature gradient in a first regenerator and a second temperature gradient in a second regenerator;
- creating a first acoustic wave in the first regenerator that propagates along a propagation path;
- creating a second acoustic wave in the second regenerator that propagates along the propagation path, wherein there are no electrical acoustical signal generators disposed along the propagation path between the first and second regenerators;
- superimposing the first acoustic wave and the second acoustic wave to form a combined acoustic wave having an amplitude higher than the first and second acoustic waves;
- converting the combined acoustic wave to an electrical signal;
- and
- outputting a portion of the electrical signal to drive a first transducer.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.