High frequency thermoacoustic refrigerator
AssigneeUniversity of Utah
InventorsOrest G. Symko, Ehab Abdel-Rahman, DeJuan Zhang, Thierry Klein
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A thermoacoustic refrigerator having a relatively small size which utilizes one or more piezoelectric drivers to generate high frequency sound within a resonator at a frequency of between about 4000 Hz and ultrasonic frequencies. The interaction of the high frequency sound with one or more stacks create a temperature gradient across the stack which is conducted through a pair of heat exchangers located on opposite sides of each stack. The stack is comprised of an open-celled material that allows axial, radial, and azimuthal resonance modes of the resonator within the stack resulting in enhanced cooling power of the thermoacoustic refrigerator.
Claims42
A compact thermoacoustic refrigerator, comprising:
- a first resonator having a first end and a second end, said first resonator defining an interior chamber having a length approximately equal to an effective diameter;
- a working fluid disposed within said interior chamber;
- a first high frequency driver disposed in communication with said working fluid for generating at least a portion of a first standing wave within said chamber;
- a first stack disposed within said first resonator between said first high frequency driver and said second end and having a first side and a second side, said first stack formed from fibers;
- and
- a first pair of heat exchangers, one of said pair positioned adjacent said first side of said stack and the other of said pair positioned adjacent said second side of said stack.
A compact thermoacoustic refrigerator, comprising:
- a first resonator having a first end and a second end and defining a first sealed chamber;
- a working fluid disposed within said first sealed chamber;
- a first driver disposed in communication with said first resonator proximate said first end thereof;
- a first stack, disposed within said first resonator and positioned between said first driver and said second end and having a first side and a second side formed from random fibers;
- a first heat exchanger adjacent said first side of said first stack;
- and
- a second heat exchanger adjacent said second side of said first stock.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.