Traveling wave heat engine

Patent · Tue Sep 19 04:00:00 EDT 1978

OSTI ID:6474444

Ceperley, P H

A traveling wave heat engine can be used both as a heat engine and a heat pump. When it operates as an engine, thermal energy is converted into acoustical traveling waves from an acoustical wave source, which if desired, can be further converted into more conventional forms of electrical and mechanical power. When it operates as a heat pump, acoustical traveling waves supply the motivating force to pump heat. An object such as a flame holding screen, heat exchanger, or regenerator creates a stationary temperature gradient in the compressible working fluid of the engine. As acoustical traveling waves pass through this temperature gradient, they cause the fluid there to move through the gradient and back and so be heated or cooled in conjunction with the compression and expansion phases of the wave. The pressure and velocity components of an acoustical traveling wave are inherently phased properly to cause the fluid in the stationary temperature gradient to undergo a Stirling thermodynamic cycle that results in amplification or attenuation of the wave, depending on the wave direction relative to the direction of the gradient. This cycle also pumps heat in the direction opposite the direction of wave propagation through the device.

• Assignee: TIC; ERA-04-016959; EDB-79-026931
• Patent Number(s): US 4114380
• OSTI ID: 6474444
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

42 ENGINEERING
425003* -- Engineering-- Power Cycles-- Stirling-- (1980-)
CONVERSION
DESIGN
ENERGY CONVERSION
ENGINES
HEAT ENGINES
HEAT EXCHANGERS
HEAT PUMPS
OPERATION
SOUND WAVES
STIRLING CYCLE
THERMODYNAMIC CYCLES
TRAVELLING WAVES