Energy Atlas

How The World Is Powered
Sign In
Text size
100%
Theme
Technology

Thermoacoustic Heat Engine

Heating and Cooling

A thermoacoustic heat engine, sometimes called a TA engine, is a thermoacoustic device that uses high-amplitude sound waves either to pump heat from one place to another, consuming work supplied by a loudspeaker, or to convert a heat difference into work in the form of sound waves, which can then be converted into electrical current much as a microphone converts sound into an electrical signal. Devices can be built around either standing or travelling sound waves, and when operated in refrigeration mode a thermoacoustic engine compares favorably with conventional vapor-compression cooling because it needs no chemical coolant and has few or no moving parts, reducing wear and maintenance.

Facts
Classification
Maturity
TRL 3: Experimental Proof of Concept 1
Technology Type
Thermoacoustic device 1
Sources
1. Wikipedia: Thermoacoustic heat engine
  • Intro, sentence 1
    thermoacoustic devices which use high-amplitude sound waves to pump heat from one place to another
  • In Group: Heat Pumps, Lead section
    Thermoacoustic engines (sometimes called "TA engines") are thermoacoustic devices which use high-amplitude sound waves to pump heat from one place to another (this requires work, which is provided by the loudspeaker) or use a heat difference to produce work in the form of sound waves (these waves can then be converted into electrical current the same way as a microphone does).
View the Source
Comments (0)
No comments yet. Be the first to share a thought.
Reader Challenges (0)
No disputes yet. Spotted an error or a better source? Open the first one.