Thermoacoustic refrigerator
Abstract
A thermoacoustic device is described having a thermal stack made from a piece of porous material which provides a desirable ratio of thermoacoustic area to viscous area, which has a low resistance to flow, which minimizes acoustic streaming and which has a high specific heat and low thermal conductivity. The thermal stack is easy and cheap to form and it can be formed in small sizes. Specifically, in one embodiment, a thermal stack which is formed by the natural structure of a porous material such as reticulated vitreous carbon is disclosed. The thermal stack is formed by machining a block of reticulated vitreous carbon into the required shape of the thermal stack. In a second embodiment, a micro-thermoacoustic device is disclosed which includes a thermal stack made of a piece of porous material such as reticulated vitreous carbon. In another embodiment, a heat exchanger is disclosed which is formed of a block of heat conductive open cell foam material. 13 figs.
- Inventors:
- Issue Date:
- Research Org.:
- Univ. of California (United States)
- Sponsoring Org.:
- USDOE, Washington, DC (United States)
- OSTI Identifier:
- 541732
- Patent Number(s):
- 5673561
- Application Number:
- PAN: 8-689,445
- Assignee:
- Univ. of California, Oakland, CA (United States)
- DOE Contract Number:
- W-7405-ENG-48
- Resource Type:
- Patent
- Resource Relation:
- Other Information: PBD: 7 Oct 1997
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
- Subject:
- 42 ENGINEERING NOT INCLUDED IN OTHER CATEGORIES; REFRIGERATORS; DESIGN; ACOUSTICS; CARBONACEOUS MATERIALS; POROUS MATERIALS; SPECIFIC HEAT; THERMAL CONDUCTIVITY; FABRICATION; HEAT TRANSFER
Citation Formats
Moss, W C. Thermoacoustic refrigerator. United States: N. p., 1997.
Web.
Moss, W C. Thermoacoustic refrigerator. United States.
Moss, W C. Tue .
"Thermoacoustic refrigerator". United States.
@article{osti_541732,
title = {Thermoacoustic refrigerator},
author = {Moss, W C},
abstractNote = {A thermoacoustic device is described having a thermal stack made from a piece of porous material which provides a desirable ratio of thermoacoustic area to viscous area, which has a low resistance to flow, which minimizes acoustic streaming and which has a high specific heat and low thermal conductivity. The thermal stack is easy and cheap to form and it can be formed in small sizes. Specifically, in one embodiment, a thermal stack which is formed by the natural structure of a porous material such as reticulated vitreous carbon is disclosed. The thermal stack is formed by machining a block of reticulated vitreous carbon into the required shape of the thermal stack. In a second embodiment, a micro-thermoacoustic device is disclosed which includes a thermal stack made of a piece of porous material such as reticulated vitreous carbon. In another embodiment, a heat exchanger is disclosed which is formed of a block of heat conductive open cell foam material. 13 figs.},
doi = {},
journal = {},
number = ,
volume = ,
place = {United States},
year = {1997},
month = {10}
}