Thermoacoustics

The AVC group undertakes research and development in thermoacoustic systems.

Projects

	Thermoacoustic 'Laser' The 'thermoacoustic laser' kit from Penn State University was built for demonstration purposes. The standard kit was improved by including thermocouples on the hot and cold side of the stack. The stack is held within the white plastic cylinder. Brass rods are joined to the plastic cylinder to allow the stack to be moved along the length of the test-tube to demonstrate that operation of the device changes as the position of the stack is altered. Watch this YouTube video of it working.
	Loudspeaker Driven Thermoacoustic Refrigerator A thermoacoustic refrigerator was built and tested that was powered by a loudspeaker. The loudspeaker was modified such that the centre windings were attached to an aluminium piston that compressed the working gas.
	Heat Driven Thermoacoustic Refrgierator A combined thermoacoustic engine and refrigerator was constructed and tested. The device was electrically powered using a custom made heater element, similar to that used in electric stoves. The diameters of the tubes were optimised using DeltaE such that there was pressure amplification from the thermoacoustic engine side to the thermoacoustic refrigeration end.
	Waste-Heat Driven Thermoacoustic Engine A thermoacoustic engine was built and tested that was powered by the heat from the exhaust of an automobile engine. The picture shows the catalytic converter on the right side of the image, a heat exchanger shown in the centre, which is attached to the thermoacoustic engine.

Publications

• Numerical study of flow and energy fields in thermoacoustic couples of non-zero thickness
  Luke Zoontjens, Carl Q. Howard, Anthony C. Zander, Ben S. Cazzolato (2009)
  International Journal of Thermal Sciences, 48 (4), April, p733-746.
• Numerical comparison of thermoacoustic couples with modified stack plate edges
  Luke Zoontjens, Carl Q. Howard, Anthony C. Zander, Ben S. Cazzolato (2008)
  International Journal of Heat and Mass Transfer, 51 (19-20), September, p4829-4840.
• Modelling and optimisation of acoustic inertance segments for thermoacoustic devices
  Luke Zoontjens, Carl Q. Howard, Anthony C. Zander, Ben S. Cazzolato (2006)
  Proceedings of Acoustics 2006: Noise of Progress, Clearwater Resort, Christchurch, New Zealand, 20-22 November, p435-431.
• Impedance correction for a branched duct in a thermoacoustic air-conditioner
  Carl Q. Howard (2006)
  Proceedings of Acoustics 2006: Noise of Progress, Clearwater Resort, Christchurch, New Zealand, 20-22 November, p429-433.
• Airconditioning system that runs on sound
  Luke Zoontjens, Carl Q. Howard, Anthony C. Zander, Ben S. Cazzolato (2005)
  Engineers Australia, August, p43.
• Development of a Low-Cost Loudspeaker-Driven Thermoacoustic Refrigerator
  Luke Zoontjens, Carl Q. Howard, Anthony C. Zander, Ben S. Cazzolato (2005)
  Proceedings of Acoustics 2005, Busselton, Western Australia, Australia, 9-11 November, p373-379.
• Feasibility Study of an Automotive Thermoacoustic Refrigerator
  Luke Zoontjens, Carl Q. Howard, Anthony C. Zander, Ben S. Cazzolato (2005)
  Proceedings of Acoustics 2005, Busselton, Western Australia, Australia, 9-11 November, p363-371.
• Review of flow-through design in thermoacoustic refrigeration
  Tom C. Bammann, Carl Q. Howard, Ben S. Cazzolato (2005)
  Proceedings of Acoustics 2005, Busselton, Western Australia, Australia, 9-11 November, p357-361.

Contact

Contact Carl Howard for more information.