Impact of Heat Exchanger Length and Porosity in a Travelling-Wave Thermo-Acoustic Engine

Abstract

In energy-intensive process industries, heat exchangers are frequently employed to increase the heat transfer coefficient and transfer heat between fluids without mixing or blending them. In thermo-acoustic systems, the main goal is to heat up and cool down heat exchangers positioned across the regenerator or the stack to reach a suitable onset temperature and generate a sound wave in a thermo-acoustic engine. Because of the impact of heat exchangers on the performance of thermo-acoustic systems, a more systematic investigation into the impact of its geometrical configuration would be insightful. A numerical model of a travelling-wave thermo-acoustic engine was developed and implemented within the software DELTAEC. Various simulations were performed. This result shows that the performance of a travelling-wave thermo-acoustic engine would improve by considering a relatively shorter cold heat exchanger having larger pores. A relatively longer hot heat exchanger having larger pores could enhance the performance of a thermo-acoustic engine.