Steiner Thomas W, Antonelli Keith B, Archibald Geoffrey D S, De Chardon Briac, Gottfried Kristjan T, Malekian Mohammad, Kostka Peter
Etalim Inc., 68 West 8th Avenue, Vancouver, British Columbia V5Y 1M7, Canada.
J Acoust Soc Am. 2021 Feb;149(2):948. doi: 10.1121/10.0003495.
A high frequency, power, and efficiency diaphragm transducer is described for use with thermoacoustic engines and refrigerators. It uses a tube acting in compression and extension as the primary spring so that the mechanical resonant frequency is around 500 Hz. A high-frequency transducer results in more compact and higher power density thermoacoustic engines, refrigerators, and heat pumps. The tube spring furthermore constitutes a part of the pressure vessel so that the alternator is outside the pressure vessel, thereby simplifying transducer construction and reducing mass. The hermetically sealed transducer operates entirely without wear or lubricants, leading to a long maintenance-free lifetime. We present in situ efficiency measurement results at the full power operating frequency and temperature of the transducer. Despite the high operating frequency, the transducer efficiency is better than that of other transducers previously used in thermoacoustic systems. Accelerated fatigue test results on tube spring coupons justify the long-life claims. The exceptional stiffness of the primary spring in this transducer leads to the unusual need to consider stretch in additional transducer structural components. We present a multi-mass, lumped-element, coupled oscillator model of the transducer and discuss thermoacoustic system design using this model.
描述了一种用于热声发动机和冰箱的高频、高功率和高效率的隔膜换能器。它使用一根在压缩和拉伸时起作用的管子作为主弹簧，使得机械共振频率约为500赫兹。高频换能器可使热声发动机、冰箱和热泵更加紧凑且功率密度更高。此外，管弹簧构成压力容器的一部分，这样交流发电机就在压力容器外部，从而简化了换能器结构并减轻了质量。这种密封的换能器完全无磨损且无需润滑剂运行，从而具有无需维护的长使用寿命。我们给出了换能器在全功率工作频率和温度下的原位效率测量结果。尽管工作频率很高，但该换能器的效率优于先前在热声系统中使用的其他换能器。对管弹簧试样的加速疲劳试验结果证明了其长寿命的说法。该换能器中主弹簧的非凡刚度导致在其他换能器结构部件中需要考虑拉伸这一不同寻常的情况。我们给出了该换能器的多质量、集总元件、耦合振荡器模型，并使用此模型讨论了热声系统设计。
