Extracting energy from wind. At least some of the illustrative embodiments are methods including: directing fluid flow across an aperture of a nozzle in operational relationship with an resonant cavity, a central axis of the nozzle and the central axis of the resonant cavity nonconcentric, and the resonant cavity has a resonant frequency; creating pressure waves within the resonant cavity, the pressure waves created at least in part by vortices within the fluid flow across the aperture; and extracting energy from pressure waves within the resonant cavity.

A thermoacoustic electric generator system includes: a thermoacoustic engine provided in an annular tube; a turbine provided in a branched tube and rotating when receiving acoustic energy, which is generated by thermoacoustic oscillation of working gas in the thermoacoustic engine; and a generator for converting kinetic energy, which is generated by rotation of the turbine, to electric energy. The turbine is provided at a specified position that belongs to a region between a first position and a second position in each region of the branched tube, the first position being an intermediate position between one end and the other end, and the second position being an intermediate position between the first position and the other end.

A thermoacoustic electric generator system includes: a turbine including a turbine blade provided in an inside of a branched tube in a tube component and rotating by thermoacoustic oscillation of working gas in a thermoacoustic engine, and a turbine rotational shaft configured to be coupled to the turbine blade, penetrate a tube wall of the branched tube, and extend from the inside to an outside thereof; and a generator provided on the outside of the branched tube in the tube component, coupled to the turbine rotational shaft of the turbine, and converting rotational energy of the turbine blade to electric energy.

Examples of a modular compression chamber for use in a compression system are disclosed. The modular compression chamber comprises a plurality of individual modules and a plurality of fasteners to attach the plurality of modules in an interlocking fashion to form the chamber. The modules have a pre-determined geometry and size to form a compression chamber with a desired geometry and size. The plurality of fasteners keeps each of the individual modules in compression with neighboring modules so that the formed chamber maintains its integrity during operation. The modules can comprise a plurality of pressure wave generators to generate a pressure wave within the chamber. In one embodiment, the pressure wave generators have a pre-determined geometry and size and are configured to interlock with the neighboring generators forming the individual modules. The fasteners are configured to maintain intimate contact between side walls of the adjacent pressure wave generators.

A heat/acoustic wave conversion component having a first end face and a second end face, includes a partition wall that defines a plurality of cells extending from the first end face to the second end face, inside of the cells being filled with working fluid that oscillates to transmit acoustic waves, the heat/acoustic wave conversion component mutually converting heat exchanged between the partition wall and the working fluid and energy of acoustic waves resulting from oscillations of the working fluid. Hydraulic diameter HD of the heat/acoustic wave conversion component is 0.4 mm or less, where the hydraulic diameter HD is defined as HD=4S/C, where S denotes a cross-sectional area of each cell perpendicular to the cell extending direction and C denotes a perimeter of the cross section, and the heat/acoustic wave conversion component has three-point bending strength of 5 MPa or more.

A device and method for treating a wound of a patient with negative pressure is provided. The device comprises a heat-assisted pump system. The pump system can be powered in part by heat derived from the patient. The pump system may be configured to be highly planar, light weight, and portable. The pump system may comprise a Stirling engine or a thermal acoustic engine.

A thermoacoustic converter includes a heater, a cooler, and a thermal storage device. The heater includes a first acoustic wave passage and a high-temperature passage for a first fluid. The cooler includes a second acoustic wave passage and a low-temperature passage for a second fluid. The thermal storage device includes an intermediate acoustic wave passage fluidly connecting between the first acoustic wave passage and the second acoustic wave passage. At least one of the high-temperature passage and the low-temperature passage is defined as a specified passage, and at least one of the first fluid or the second fluid is defined as a specified fluid. The specified passage has a near position close to the thermal storage device, and a far position far from the thermal storage device. The specified passage is configured to allow the specified fluid to flow from the near position to the far position.

An energy collecting device is disclosed. For example, the energy collecting device comprises a plate layer having a plurality of perforations for receiving a plurality of molecules, a molecular energy collecting layer, coupled to the plate layer, having an impacting structure for receiving the plurality of molecules, and a substrate layer, coupled to the molecular energy collecting layer, having a conductor wire coil for collecting electrons that are generated when the plurality of molecules impacts the impacting structure.

The efficiency of solar power collection is increased by adding a thermal energy storage stage to a sunlight concentrator and thermodynamic power generator system. The thermal energy storage includes tubes or capsules made of a phase change material that stores thermal energy in different temperature stages through a working fluid. The stored thermal energy is directed to the thermodynamic generator during off-sun periods.

A thermoacoustic transducer includes a mechanical converter providing power conversion between acoustic and mechanical power and includes a diaphragm defining a compression and an expansion chamber. A thermal converter including a flow passage having a regenerator portion is thermally coupled for conversion between acoustic and thermal power. The mechanical converter is in fluid communication with the flow passage through transmission ducts completing an acoustic power loop having a volume containing a working gas. A transmission duct cross-sectional area is less than a regenerator flow area, which is less than a diaphragm surface area. The diaphragm undergoes resilient displacement causing pressure oscillations within the volume. The power loop is configured to cause one location along the loop to have anti-phase pressure oscillations to pressure oscillations in the mechanical converter.