Heat regenerators and related methods enable heat transfer in an embedded structure of a heat regenerator. The heat regenerators enable a reduction of the pressure drop due to fluid flow through the heat regenerator and consequently an increase of power density. A heat regenerator includes a housing having a primary hot heat exchanger and a primary cold heat exchanger between elements for the oscillation of a primary fluid. The secondary fluid unidirectionally flows from the heat sink into the primary cold heat exchanger. The secondary fluid exits from the primary cold heat exchanger and unidirectionally flows towards the heat source. The secondary fluid S enters the primary hot heat exchanger and exits as the unidirectional flow of the secondary fluid S of the primary hot heat exchanger towards the heat sink. Between both primary heat exchangers, the porous regenerative material is positioned as part of the regenerator.

A multi-stage traveling wave thermoacoustic engine is disclosed. A plurality of heat engine stages are formed as a toroidal spiral cascade of N stages inside a pressure vessel. Each stage feeds into the next stage such that all of the thermoacoustic power cycles past a common set of thermal interfaces multiple times with the single domed pressure vessel. The inventive thermoacoustic engine is simpler and cheaper to manufacture and more reliable due to the minimization of hot joints.

A multi-stage traveling wave thermoacoustic engine is disclosed. A plurality of heat engine stages are formed as a toroidal spiral cascade of N stages inside a pressure vessel. Each stage feeds into the next stage such that all of the thermoacoustic power cycles past a common set of thermal interfaces multiple times with the single domed pressure vessel. The inventive thermoacoustic engine is simpler and cheaper to manufacture and more reliable due to the minimization of hot joints.

A thermoacoustic heating device capable of effectively utilizing streaming, and including a prime mover in a first pipeline that forms a loop line, and a heating device in a second pipeline that forms another loop line. The first and second pipelines are connected to each other via a branch pipeline. A branch pipeline on the prime mover side and the second pipeline on the heating device side are positioned adjacent to each other, and a low-temperature side heat exchanger of the heating device is integrally formed with or held in contact with the branch pipeline on the prime mover side.

Disclosed are a thermoacoustic engine with high conversion efficiency from heat energy to acoustic energy and a designing method for the thermoacoustic engine. A stack of the thermoacoustic engine has a plurality of flow passages extending through a thermoacoustic piping section. A hot heat exchanger is coupled to one end in a longitudinal direction of the stack. A cold heat exchanger is coupled to the other end in the longitudinal direction of the stack. And a length in the longitudinal direction of the hot heat exchanger is greater than a length in the longitudinal direction of the stack, and is greater than a length in the longitudinal direction of the cold heat exchanger.

A thermoacoustic engine is provided that uses acoustic energy to operate a piston in a double-acting action. The acoustic energy is amplified as a sound wave travels through the thermoacoustic engine. The amplified acoustic energy is extracted and converted into usable electrical energy.

A thermoacoustic device includes a process volume which is filled with a working fluid through which the acoustic wave propagates. The thermoacoustic device further includes an acoustic network comprising a tubular loop configured with a passage providing an opening in the loop and configured as acoustic circuit provided with a compliance volume, a thermo-acoustic core and an inertance volume. Within the loop, the thermoacoustic core is at a first side thereof adjacent to the passage at a first path length through the loop, and at its second side, opposite to the first side, the thermoacoustic core is at a second path length from the passage. The thermoacoustic device includes within the loop a spring-type partitioning element that is configured to close off the cross-section of the tube and to be impermeable for the working fluid while allowing transmission of pressure waves in the working fluid through the spring-type partitioning element.

A modular thermal apparatus for performing transformation between thermal and acoustic energy is disclosed and includes a housing, first and second fluid ducts extending therethrough, and a regenerator having axially extending regenerator fluid passages. A first heat exchanger conducts thermal energy in the axial direction and includes transversely oriented fluid passages extending through a thermally conductive body and changing direction within the body to terminate axially aligned with the regenerator fluid passages. The apparatus also includes a second heat exchanger having fluid passages extending through a thermally conductive body and terminating in fluid communication with the regenerator fluid passages. Thermal energy is transferred between the heat exchangers and an external thermal energy source or sink. The housing withstands a pressure associated with a pressurized working gas and the fluid ducts provide for connection of the apparatus as a module within an acoustic power loop.

A method of controlling facility power requirements using a thermoacoustic power device is provided that includes determining energy assets in a facility, controlling the energy assets using an appropriately programmed controller across a network having a security system protocol, monitoring outside temperatures and weather, measuring usage of the energy assets using a temperature sensor or an electrical usage sensor to a load-response signal of an on/off operation and usage of the energy assets to identify a specific energy asset by the controller to determine aggregate energy needs of the energy assets, and using a thermoacoustic power device controlled by the controller to generate electricity and heat according to the monitored temperature, weather and energy assets.

A thermo-acoustic engine and/or cooler is provided and includes an elongated tubular body, multiple regenerators disposed within the body, multiple heat exchangers disposed within the body, where at least one heat exchanger is disposed adjacent to each of the multiple regenerators, multiple transducers axially disposed at each end of the body, and an acoustic wave source generating acoustic waves. At least one of the acoustic waves is amplified by one of the regenerators and at least another acoustic wave is amplified by a second one of regenerators.