Heat-driven acoustic cooling engine having no moving parts

An acoustic cooling engine driven by a heat source comprising:

• container means for containing a compressible fluid which is capable of supporting an acoustic standing wave having a selected wavelength, said container means having a first end and a second end;
• first means for receiving heat from the heat source, said first means being located in said container means spaced apart from said first end and effective to transfer heat to said fluid;
• a first thermodynamic element located in said container means adjacent said first means and between said first means and said second end of the container means for receiving heat from the compressible fluid and for converting some of the received heat into acoustic power in the form of said acoustic standing wave;
• a second thermodynamic element located in said container means and spaced apart from said first thermodynamic element, said second thermodynamic element having a first end and a second end functionally related to said first thermodynamic element to cool said second end of said second thermodynamic element by the acoustic wave generated by said first thermodynamic element;
• and
• second means located between said first and said second thermodynamic elements for receiving heat rejected from said first and said second thermodynamic elements to said fluid.

An acoustic cooling engine driven by a heat source comprising:

• container means for containing a compressible fluid which is capable of supporting an acoustic standing wave, said container means having a first end and a second end;
• a first plurality of spaced-apart strips extending parallel to each other and located in said container means said first plurality of spaced-apart strips receiving heat from said heat source and being effective to transfer heat to said fluid;
• a first plurality of elongated spaced-apart plates extending parallel to each other and located in said container means adjacent said first plurality of strips, a plane parallel to said first plurality of elongated spaced-apart plates being nonparallel to a plane parallel to said first plurality of spaced-apart strips;
• a second plurality of elongated spaced-apart plates extending parallel to each other and located in said container means spaced apart from said first plurality of elongated spaced-apart plates, a plane parallel to said second plurality of elongated spaced-apart plates being parallel to said plane parallel to said first plurality of elongated spaced-apart plates;
• and
• a second plurality of spaced-apart strips and a third plurality of spaced-apart strips, said second and said third plurality of strips being longitudinally spaced apart from and parallel to each other and located in said container means between said first plurality of and said second plurality of spaced-apart elongated plates, a plane parallel to said second and said third plurality of strips being nonparallel to said plane parallel to said first plurality of spaced-apart plates.

An acoustic heat transfer engine driven by a heat source, comprising:

• container means for containing a compressible fluid which is capable of supporting an acoustic standing wave, said container defining a first end and a second end;
• means for establishing a first temperature gradient in said first end;
• a first thermodynamic element responsive to said first temperature gradient for generating an acoustic standing wave in said first and second ends of said container;
• a second thermodynamic element spaced apart from said first thermodynamic element and responsive to said acoustic standing wave in said second end of said container to establish a second temperature gradient effective to create a temperature difference across said second thermodynamic element.