Thermoacoustic heating device

Abstract

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.

Claims

1. A thermoacoustic heating device, comprising: two pipelines, each including a loop; a branch pipeline connecting the two loop pipelines; and a prime mover provided in one of the two loop pipelines, wherein a heating device is provided in the other of the two pipelines, wherein the heating device includes a high-temperature side heat exchanger, a low-temperature side heat exchanger and a stack for connecting the high-temperature side heat exchanger to the low-temperature side heat exchanger, wherein the high-temperature side heat exchanger is at a higher temperature than the low-temperature side heat exchanger, wherein the branch pipeline is bent at an intermediate portion thereof such that the loop pipeline on the heating device side is positioned adjacent to the branch pipeline on the prime mover side, and wherein the 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.

2. The thermoacoustic heating device according to claim 1, wherein the prime mover includes a high-temperature side heat exchanger, a low-temperature side heat exchanger and a stack for connecting the high-temperature side heat exchanger to the low-temperature side heat exchanger.

3. The thermoacoustic heating device according to claim 2, wherein the high-temperature side heat exchanger of the prime mover receives exhaust gas from an internal combustion engine.

4. The thermoacoustic heating device according to claim 2, wherein the high-temperature side heat exchanger of the prime mover has a predetermined temperature difference relative to the low-temperature side heat exchanger of the prime mover to generate acoustic waves.

5. The thermoacoustic heating device according to claim 4, wherein the predetermined temperature difference is 100 degrees C.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) FIG. 1 is a set of views showing an embodiment of the present invention. Specifically, FIG. 1(a) is an overall view thereof, and FIG. 1(b) is a detail view of a portion D circled in FIG. 1(a).

(2) FIG. 2 is a view showing another embodiment of the present invention.

(3) FIG. 3 is a view showing a conventional single-loop type thermoacoustic heating device.

(4) FIG. 4 is a view showing a conventional double-loop type thermoacoustic heating device.

MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

(5) Preferred embodiments of the present invention are described below in detail with reference to the drawings.

(6) FIG. 1 illustrates a thermoacoustic heating device 10 according to the embodiment of the present invention with a loop-shaped pipeline formed into a double-loop. The loop-shaped pipeline is formed by connecting two loop pipelines 11 and 12 using a branch pipeline 13. The branch pipeline 13 is employed as a resonance pipe. The thermoacoustic heating device 10 includes a prime mover 22 provided in the loop pipeline 11 and a heating device 23 provided in the loop pipeline 12.

(7) The prime mover 22 includes a high-temperature side heat exchanger 24, a low-temperature side heat exchanger 25, and a stack 26 for connecting the high-temperature side heat exchanger 24 to the low-temperature side heat exchanger 25. Similarly, the heating device 23 includes a high-temperature side heat exchanger 27, a low-temperature side heat exchanger 28, and a stack 29 for connecting the high-temperature side heat exchanger 27 to the low-temperature side heat exchanger 28.

(8) The branch pipeline 13 is bent at an intermediate portion thereof into a U-shape in such a manner that a branch pipeline 13a on the prime mover 22 side and another branch pipeline 13b on the heating device 23 side are disposed adjacent to each other. A bent portion 13c is formed such that the branch pipeline 13a on the prime mover 22 side is longer than the branch pipeline 13b on the heating device 23 side, and the loop pipeline 12 having the heating device 23 provided therein is positioned adjacent to the branch pipeline 13a on the prime mover 22 side.

(9) In this embodiment, the low-temperature side heat exchanger 28 of the heating device 23 is configured so as to be integrally formed with or held in contact with the branch pipeline 13a on the prime mover 22 side.

(10) The operation of this embodiment will now be described.

(11) Exhaust gas from, for example, an engine is employed as a working fluid and is caused to flow into the high-temperature side heat exchanger 24 of the prime mover 22 provided in the loop pipeline 11, and the low-temperature side heat exchanger 25 is caused to have a temperature difference of about 100 degrees C. relative to the high-temperature side heat exchanger 24, thereby generating acoustic waves from the low-temperature side heat exchanger 25 through the stack 26 and the high-temperature side heat exchanger 24. Such acoustic waves are then transmitted to the loop pipeline 12 via the branch pipeline 13.

(12) In the heating device 23, the low-temperature side heat exchanger 28 is caused to have a desired temperature to allow the high-temperature side heat exchanger 27 to obtain a temperature higher than the temperature of the low-temperature side heat exchanger 28 by more than 100 degrees C. Another working fluid flowing into the high-temperature side heat exchanger 27 can be used as a heat source for another device such as an SCR device (Selective Reduction Catalytic device) or a DPF (Diesel Particulate Filter) connected to an engine exhaust gas system.

(13) In this instance, streaming occurs in the prime mover 22, but the low-temperature side heat exchanger 28 of the heating device 23 can receive heat generated by the streaming because the low-temperature side heat exchanger 28 is integrally formed with or held in contact with the branch pipeline 13a of the prime mover 22 side. Thus, it is possible to suppress the streaming that flows into the branch pipeline 13a on the downstream side thereof and also allow the high-temperature side heat exchanger 27 to recover the heat generated by the streaming.

(14) In this manner, the heat generated by the streaming can be utilized, and therefore this embodiment can reduce the volume of the prime mover 22.

(15) Another embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. 2.

(16) FIG. 2 shows a thermoacoustic heating device 20 according to the second embodiment of the present invention with a loop-shaped pipeline formed into a single-loop.

(17) The loop pipeline of this thermoacoustic heating device 20 is configured by bending a portion of a single-loop pipeline 21 into an additional loop, and the thermoacoustic heating device 20 includes a prime mover 22 and a heating device 23 provided in pipelines 21a and 21b, respectively.

(18) In this embodiment, when the pipeline 21a having the prime mover 22 provided therein and the pipeline 21b having the heating device 23 provided therein are formed, the pipeline 21a on the prime mover 22 side and the pipeline 21b on the heating device 23 side are positioned adjacent to each other, and the low-temperature side heat exchanger 28 of the heating device 23 is configured so as to be integrally formed with or held in contact with the pipeline 21a on the prime mover 22 side.

(19) In this embodiment also, the exhaust gas from, for example, the engine is employed as a working fluid and is caused to flow into the high-temperature side heat exchanger 24 of the prime mover 22, and the low-temperature side heat exchanger 25 is caused to have a temperature difference of about 100 degrees C. relative to the high-temperature side heat exchanger 24, thereby generating acoustic waves from the low-temperature side heat exchanger 25 through the stack 26 and the high-temperature side heat exchanger 24. Such acoustic waves are then transmitted to the pipeline 21b on the heating device 23 side via the pipeline 21a on the prime mover 22 side. Thus, it is possible to use the high-temperature side heat exchanger 27 of the heating device 23 as a heat source.

(20) In this instance, streaming occurs in the prime mover 22, but the low-temperature side heat exchanger 28 of the heating device 23 can receive heat generated by the streaming because the low-temperature side heat exchanger 28 is integrally formed with or held in contact with the pipeline 21a of the prime mover 22 side. Accordingly, not only can the streaming, which flows into the pipeline 21a on the downstream side thereof, be suppressed, but the high-temperature side heat exchanger 27 can also recover the heat generated by the streaming.