Numerical and Experimental Study on the Stack Geometry Affecting on the Cooling Performance of the Thermoacoustic Refrigerator

The objective of this research is to study and develop the thermoacoustic refrigeration system. The effects of stack geometries on the cooling performance of the system were investigated. The geometries of parallel plate, circular pore and mesh screen stacks were examined. In addition, the effects of sound wave frequency, the position of stack, the length of stack and the heat exchanger attached to the stack on the temperature difference across the ends of stack were also examined. The stacks here were tested under atmospheric pressure and a loudspeaker was used as an acoustic driver. As results, the mesh screen stack can provide the maximum temperature difference across the ends of stack up to 27.0°C, and the minimum cold-end temperature can drop down to 14.3°C. When ambient heat exchanger was installed at the stack’s hot-end, the temperature profile at the cold end of the stack cannot be further reduced. Possibly, it might be due to the increased pressure drop in the system.