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Title: Traveling-wave device with mass flux suppression

Abstract

A traveling-wave device is provided with the conventional moving pistons eliminated. Acoustic energy circulates in a direction through a fluid within a torus. A side branch may be connected to the torus for transferring acoustic energy into or out of the torus. A regenerator is located in the torus with a first heat exchanger located on a first side of the regenerator downstream of the regenerator relative to the direction of the circulating acoustic energy; and a second heat exchanger located on an upstream side of the regenerator. The improvement is a mass flux suppressor located in the torus to minimize time-averaged mass flux of the fluid. In one embodiment, the device further includes a thermal buffer column in the torus to thermally isolate the heat exchanger that is at the operating temperature of the device.

Inventors:
 [1];  [2];  [3]
  1. Santa Fe, NM
  2. Los Alamos, NM
  3. White Rock, NM
Publication Date:
Research Org.:
Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States)
OSTI Identifier:
872885
Patent Number(s):
US 6032464
Assignee:
Regents of University of California (Los Alamos, NM)
DOE Contract Number:  
W-7405-ENG-36
Resource Type:
Patent
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
traveling-wave; device; mass; flux; suppression; provided; conventional; moving; pistons; eliminated; acoustic; energy; circulates; direction; fluid; torus; branch; connected; transferring; regenerator; located; heat; exchanger; downstream; relative; circulating; upstream; improvement; suppressor; minimize; time-averaged; embodiment; thermal; buffer; column; thermally; isolate; operating; temperature; mass flux; heat exchange; heat exchanger; operating temperature; acoustic energy; wave device; exchanger located; traveling-wave device; thermally isolate; /60/62/

Citation Formats

Swift, Gregory W, Backhaus, Scott N, and Gardner, David L. Traveling-wave device with mass flux suppression. United States: N. p., 2000. Web.
Swift, Gregory W, Backhaus, Scott N, & Gardner, David L. Traveling-wave device with mass flux suppression. United States.
Swift, Gregory W, Backhaus, Scott N, and Gardner, David L. 2000. "Traveling-wave device with mass flux suppression". United States. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/872885.
@article{osti_872885,
title = {Traveling-wave device with mass flux suppression},
author = {Swift, Gregory W and Backhaus, Scott N and Gardner, David L},
abstractNote = {A traveling-wave device is provided with the conventional moving pistons eliminated. Acoustic energy circulates in a direction through a fluid within a torus. A side branch may be connected to the torus for transferring acoustic energy into or out of the torus. A regenerator is located in the torus with a first heat exchanger located on a first side of the regenerator downstream of the regenerator relative to the direction of the circulating acoustic energy; and a second heat exchanger located on an upstream side of the regenerator. The improvement is a mass flux suppressor located in the torus to minimize time-averaged mass flux of the fluid. In one embodiment, the device further includes a thermal buffer column in the torus to thermally isolate the heat exchanger that is at the operating temperature of the device.},
doi = {},
url = {https://www.osti.gov/biblio/872885}, journal = {},
number = ,
volume = ,
place = {United States},
year = {Sat Jan 01 00:00:00 EST 2000},
month = {Sat Jan 01 00:00:00 EST 2000}
}

Works referenced in this record:

Gain and efficiency of a short traveling wave heat engine
journal, March 1985


A pistonless Stirling engine—The traveling wave heat engine
journal, November 1979


Acoustic streaming in pulse tube refrigerators: tapered pulse tubes
journal, December 1997


DC Gas Flows in Stirling and Pulse Tube Cryocoolers
book, January 1997