Multi-physics coupling in thermoacoustic devices: A review

Chen, Geng; Tang, Lihua; Mace, B.R.; Yu, Zhibin

doi:10.1016/j.rser.2021.111170

Cited by 106 publications

(14 citation statements)

References 325 publications

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“…They rely on the thermoacoustic effect to convert low-grade heat such as industrial waste heat, solar energy, geothermal energy, etc, into high-amplitude acoustic oscillations using no/few moving components and environmentally friendly working fluids [2]. The study of thermoacoustic effect is multi-disciplinary since it involves fundamentals of heat transfer, thermodynamics, fluidic mechanics, acoustics, and nonlinear dynamics, to name a few [3]. This allows researchers from various backgrounds to participate in the thermoacoustic research and study thermoacoustics from different aspects [4][5][6].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Mutual synchronization of self-excited acoustic oscillations in coupled thermoacoustic oscillators

Chen¹,

Li²,

Tang³

et al. 2021

J. Phys. D: Appl. Phys.

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Synchronization refers to the adjustment of rhythms of two nonidentical oscillators due to interaction.In this study, we report for the first time on the ability of computational fluid dynamics (CFD) to simulate the synchronization of self-sustained acoustic oscillations in two coupled thermoacoustic oscillators that interfere with each other through acoustic radiation. A bifurcation diagram containing both asynchronous and synchronous states is first mapped out by changing the end-to-end distance and the resonator length difference. It is found that the two thermoacoustic oscillators are analogous to mutually coupled Van der Pol oscillators with reactive coupling. Then, the dynamic characteristics of beating and periodic oscillations in asynchronous and synchronous states are analysed separately to facilitate the comprehension of the synchronization process. This research demonstrates that the CFD methodology provides a valuable numerical tool for studying the synchronization of thermally-induced acoustic oscillations in thermoacoustic systems.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Mutual synchronization of self-excited acoustic oscillations in coupled thermoacoustic oscillators

Chen¹,

Li²,

Tang³

et al. 2021

J. Phys. D: Appl. Phys.

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“…Thermoacoustic engines are energy devices converting heat into electricity through acoustic waves [1]. They are based on thermoacoustic effect: if a temperature difference across a particular porous media called stack overcomes a threshold value (the onset temperature), pressure and velocity instabilities arise in the system [2]. This stack, the core where the energy conversion between heat and acoustic power takes place, is generally sandwiched between the hot Heat eXchanger (HX), the source at high temperature, and the cold one representing the thermal sink.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Experimental validation of a heat exchanger model for thermoacoustic applications

Di Meglio,

Massarotti,

Piccolo

2024

J. Phys.: Conf. Ser.

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Thermoacoustics is a promising technology for energy conversion purposes. Among the bottlenecks limiting a large diffusion of thermoacoustic devices, there are heat exchangers, whose behaviour in oscillatory flows is rather different than those working in stationary flows. Furthermore, the classical linear acoustic theory in the frequency domain cannot predict with high-fidelity the thermo-fluid dynamics of such heat exchangers. In this article, a CFD model based on a standing wave device including a parallel plate heat exchanger is proposed. The setup is inspired by a similar prototype of a thermoacoustic engine in which the performance of the ambient heat exchanger was tested. The results of the CFD model are therefore compared, in terms of the temperature difference between fluid and solid wall in the heat exchanger, average heat flux and Nusselt number, with experimental data showing a satisfying agreement.

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“…Oscillating flows in porous media are encountered in a broad range of real-life applications including medicine (Keith Sharp et al , 2019), geophysics (Zhang et al , 2019), acoustics (Horoshenkov, 2017) and thermoacoustics (Chen et al , 2021). In general, heat and fluid flow in porous media can be studied either at the microscopic level, by directly solving the Navier Stokes Equations (NSE) with an appropriate numerical model, by using analytical solutions, or at the macroscopic scale (Massarotti et al , 2003).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Analysis of non-linear losses in a parallel plate thermoacoustic stack

Di Meglio,

Massarotti,

Rolland

et al. 2023

HFF

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Purpose This study aims to analyse the non-linear losses of a porous media (stack) composed by parallel plates and inserted in a resonator tube in oscillatory flows by proposing numerical correlations between pressure gradient and velocity. Design/methodology/approach The numerical correlations origin from computational fluid dynamics simulations, conducted at the microscopic scale, in which three fluid channels representing the porous media are taken into account. More specifically, for a specific frequency and stack porosity, the oscillating pressure input is varied, and the velocity and the pressure-drop are post-processed in the frequency domain (Fast Fourier Transform analysis). Findings It emerges that the viscous component of pressure drop follows a quadratic trend with respect to velocity inside the stack, while the inertial component is linear also at high-velocity regimes. Furthermore, the non-linear coefficient b of the correlation ax + bx2 (related to the Forchheimer coefficient) is discovered to be dependent on frequency. The largest value of the b is found at low frequencies as the fluid particle displacement is comparable to the stack length. Furthermore, the lower the porosity the higher the Forchheimer term because the velocity gradients at the stack geometrical discontinuities are more pronounced. Originality/value The main novelty of this work is that, for the first time, non-linear losses of a parallel plate stack are investigated from a macroscopic point of view and summarised into a non-linear correlation, similar to the steady-state and well-known Darcy–Forchheimer law. The main difference is that it considers the frequency dependence of both Darcy and Forchheimer terms. The results can be used to enhance the analysis and design of thermoacoustic devices, which use the kind of stacks studied in the present work.

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Multi-physics coupling in thermoacoustic devices: A review

Cited by 106 publications

References 325 publications

Mutual synchronization of self-excited acoustic oscillations in coupled thermoacoustic oscillators

Mutual synchronization of self-excited acoustic oscillations in coupled thermoacoustic oscillators

Experimental validation of a heat exchanger model for thermoacoustic applications

Analysis of non-linear losses in a parallel plate thermoacoustic stack

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