Thermoacoustic Phenomena in Small-Scale Systems

0853171 matvev该奖项是根据2009年美国复苏和再投资法案（公法111-5）资助的。集成热源和电声变压器的热声发动机是紧凑型发电和制冷的一个很有前途的候选者。热声系统是环保的，由于其结构简单，涉及最少的运动部件，因此高度可靠，并且具有潜在的高效率。该项目的总体目标是了解微型外壳中振荡气体热力学和传热的基本原理，为小规模能量转换开发有效的解决方案，并推进高性能能源系统的教育。智力优势：有证据表明，在热声装置中使用弯曲多孔材料作为堆或蓄热器可以提高小型热声系统的效率。为了理解振荡气体热力学和传热，实现高性能的微型装置，需要进行基础研究，解决小型系统中的几个重要问题。这些问题包括弯曲多孔介质中的热声输运、系统元件中声场和温度场的强不均匀性、减少粘性和热损失、与小型热源和电声变压器的耦合。该研究涉及研究生和本科生，主要集中在：(1)小尺度热声现象的解析和数值分析；(2)小尺度系统特定条件下的宏观实验；(3)优化的微型热声器件的小尺度测试。更广泛的影响：紧凑型热声能量转换设备的发展将使各种小规模系统的实施成为可能，如MEMS、传感器网络和无人驾驶车辆。热声系统也可用于废热回收和转化。提高对小尺度热声学的理解将有利于新兴的生物医学应用，如热声断层扫描和治疗。与本研究相关的教育计划将提高能源领域本科和研究生教育的质量。这将通过将研究纳入课程和为暑期学校开设讲习班来实现。来自代表性不足群体的学生将被招募为研究助理。研究成果和教育创新将通过出版物、互联网和暑期学校的短期课程传播。

0853171MatveevThis award is funded under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Public Law 111-5).A promising candidate for compact electricity generation and refrigeration is a thermoacoustic engine integrated with a heat source and an electroacoustic transformer. Thermoacoustic systems are environmentally friendly, highly reliable due to their simple structure involving a minimal number of moving parts, and potentially highly efficient. The general objectives of this project are to understand the fundamentals of oscillatory gas thermodynamics and heat transfer in miniature enclosures, to develop efficient solutions for small scale energy conversion, and to advance education in high performance energy systems. Intellectual Merit: There is evidence that use of tortuous porous materials as stacks or regenerators in thermoacoustic devices can raise the efficiency of small scale thermoacoustic systems. To understand the oscillatory gas thermodynamics and heat transfer, and implement miniature devices with high performance, fundamental research is required that addresses several problems important in small scale systems. These problems include thermoacoustic transport in tortuous porous media, strong non uniformity of acoustic and temperature fields in the system elements, mitigation of viscous and thermal losses, and coupling with small heat sources and electroacoustic transformers. The research involves graduate and undergraduate students and focuses on: (1) analytical and numerical analysis of small scale thermoacoustic phenomena, (2) macroscale experiments under conditions specific to small scale systems, and (3) small scale tests with optimized miniature thermoacoustic devices.Broader Impacts: The development of compact thermoacoustic energy conversion devices will enable implementation of a variety of small scale systems, such as MEMS, sensor networks, and unmanned vehicles. Thermoacoustic systems can also be used for waste heat recovery and conversion. Improved understanding of thermoacoustics at small scales will benefit emerging biomedical applications, such as thermoacoustic tomography and therapy. The educational plan related to the research will improve the quality of undergraduate and graduate education in the energy area. This will be done by integrating research into curricula and developing workshops for summer schools. Students from underrepresented groups will be recruited as research assistants. Research results and education innovations will be disseminated through publications, the internet, and in short courses during summer schools.