Thermo Acoustic

Refrigeration
S.YOUSUFF
V.SARATH
K.SRIRAM
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ABSTRACT
Main area of concern in AC systems has
been high energy costs and environmental
effects.
Conventional refrigeration techniques have
high energy costs and continue to generate
greenhouse gases.
The Thermo-acoustic refrigerator(TAR) uses
sound energy to achieve refrigeration ,
making it a green idea and cost effective.
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INTRODUCTION
Thermo acoustics is a green idea of
Refrigeration to produce
temperature effects using sound
waves.
It is a combined branch of
acoustics and thermodynamics
which studies the transfer of heat by
sound waves.
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OBJECTIVE
To develop an alternative cheap
refrigeration.
To develop green refrigeration
techniques as the priority for the
future.

Working Principle
Acoustic waves are oscillations in a medium
that cause it to experience pressure,
displacement and temperature variations.
These oscillations in a gas should occur close
to a solid surface. Hence a stack is used.
A sound wave is then used to create a
temperature gradient across the stack.

WORKING

Factors influencing
design

Stack material
Resonator material & geometry
Pressure in Resonator
Resonant frequency
Working Gas

Basic considerations in
design aspects
Stack
They are made up of PVC or plastic. They
provide a medium for heat transfer.
The spacing crucially depends on the
thermal penetration depth. The hot and
cold heat exchangers are placed at
either ends of the stack.
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Preferred Material properties

The stack material must have a low
thermal conductivity & heat capacity
larger than the heat capacity of the
working gas.
The material Mylar is chosen, as it
has a low
heat conductivity
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Resonator
The resonator is designed in order
that the length, weight, shape and
the losses are optimal.
The resonator has to be compact,
light, and strong enough.

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Pressure in resonator
Since the power density in a thermo
acoustic device is proportional to
the pressure, it is favourable to
choose pressure as large as possible.
This is determined by the mechanical
strength of the resonator.

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Resonant Frequency

The resonant frequency of air

columns depend upon the speed
of sound in air as well as the
length and geometry of the air
column.

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Working gas
Helium is preferred as working gas
The reason for this choice is that helium
has the highest sound velocity and
thermal conductivity of all inert gases.
Furthermore, helium is cheap in
comparison with the other noble gases.

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ADVANTAGES
Very reliable and a long life span
Lesser Maintenance required
Environmentally friendly working
medium (air, noble gas)
The use of air or noble gas as
working medium offers a large
window of applications because
there are no phase transitions.
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CONCLUSION
Their simplicity, easy maintenance
and use of environmentally harmless
working fluids are adequate
compensation for their lower
efficiencies.
They are definitely a future
perspective of Green refrigeration
systems.
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