IPC분류정보
국가/구분 |
United States(US) Patent
등록
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국제특허분류(IPC7판) |
|
출원번호 |
US-0409855
(2003-04-09)
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발명자
/ 주소 |
- Poese, Matthew E.
- Smith, Robert W. M.
- Wakeland, Ray S.
- Garrett, Steven L.
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출원인 / 주소 |
- The Penn State Research Foundation
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대리인 / 주소 |
Gifford, Krass, Groh, Sprinkle, Anderson & Citkowski, PC
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인용정보 |
피인용 횟수 :
10 인용 특허 :
47 |
초록
▼
According to one embodiment of the present invention, a thermoacoustic device has a complaint enclosure which includes a rigid portion and a compliant portion. The compliant portion includes an oscillating member and a flexure seal with a pair of ends and a flexure body extending between the ends. O
According to one embodiment of the present invention, a thermoacoustic device has a complaint enclosure which includes a rigid portion and a compliant portion. The compliant portion includes an oscillating member and a flexure seal with a pair of ends and a flexure body extending between the ends. One of the ends is sealed to the rigid portion and the other end is sealed to the oscillating member. The flexure seal has an average cross-sectional area and an end-to-end equilibrium length. A flexure volume is defined as the product of the average cross-sectional area and the end-to-end equilibrium length. A thermal core is disposed in the complaint enclosure and includes at least a first and a second heat exchanger. A working volume of gaseous working fluid fills the complaint enclosure. The working volume of gaseous working fluid has an equilibrium pressure. A motor is operable to oscillate the oscillating member such that the end-to-end length of the flexure seal is increased and decreased with respect to the equilibrium length. Therefore, the pressure of the working volume of gaseous working fluid is oscillated between a peak pressure greater than the equilibrium pressure and a minimum pressure less than the equilibrium pressure. In some embodiments, the working volume is less than or equal to four times the flexure volume, while in other embodiments, the working volume is less than or equal to two times or one times the flexure volume.
대표청구항
▼
1. A thermoacoustic device comprising:a compliant enclosure including a rigid portion and a compliant portion, the compliant portion including an oscillating member and a flexure seal with a pair of ends and a flexure body extending therebetween, one of the ends being sealed to the rigid portion and
1. A thermoacoustic device comprising:a compliant enclosure including a rigid portion and a compliant portion, the compliant portion including an oscillating member and a flexure seal with a pair of ends and a flexure body extending therebetween, one of the ends being sealed to the rigid portion and the other end being sealed to the oscillating member, the flexure seal having an average cross sectional area and an end to end equilibrium length, a flexure volume, V flex , being defined as the product of the average cross sectional area and the end to end equilibrium length;a thermal core disposed in the compliant enclosure, the thermal core including at least a first and a second heat exchanger;a working volume, V o , of pressurized gaseous working fluid filling the compliant enclosure, the working volume of gaseous working fluid having equilibrium pressure, P m ; anda motor operable to oscillate the oscillating member such that the end to end length of the flexure seal is increased and decreased with respect to the equilibrium length, whereby the pressure of the working volume of gaseous working fluid is oscillated between a peak pressure greater than the equilibrium pressure and a minimum pressure less than the equilibrium pressure;wherein V o ≦4* V flex . 2. The thermoacoustic device according to claim 1, wherein V o ≦2* V flex . 3. The thermoacoustic device according to claim 1, wherein V o ≦1* V flex . 4. The thermoacoustic device according to claim 1, further comprising;a pressure vessel, the compliant enclosure being disposed in the pressure vessel and an additional volume of pressurized gaseous working fluid filling the pressure vessel. 5. The thermoacoustic device according to claim 1, wherein at least a portion of the thermal core is disposed in the flexure volume. 6. The thermoacoustic device according to claim 1, wherein a pressure amplitude, P l is defined as one half of the difference between the peak pressure and the minimum pressure of the working volume; and P l /P m ≧5%. 7. The thermoacoustic device according to claim 6, P l /P m ≧10%. 8. The thermoacoustic device according to claim 6, P l /P m ≧15%. 9. The thermoacoustic device according to claim 1, wherein the thermal core further comprises a regenerator disposed between the first and second heat exchangers. 10. The thermoacoustic device according to claim 6, further comprising an acoustic phasing means for adjusting the phase of the pressure and velocity of the working fluid in the regenerator such that pressure and velocity are substantially in phase. with each other. 11. A thermoacoustic device comprising:a compliant enclosure including a rigid portion and a compliant portion, the compliant portion including an oscillating member and a flexure seal with a pair of ends and a flexure body extending therebetween, one of the ends being sealed to the rigid portion and the other end being sealed to the oscillating member, the flexure seal having an average cross sectional area and an end to end equilibrium length, a flexure volume, V flex , being defined as the product of the average cross sectional area and the end to end equilibrium length;a thermal core disposed in the compliant enclosure, the thermal core including at least a first and a second heat exchanger;a working volume, V o , of pressurized gaseous working fluid filling the compliant enclosure, the working volume of gaseous working fluid having equilibrium pressure; P m ; anda motor operable to oscillate the oscillating member such that the end to end length of the flexure seal is increased and decreased with respect to the equilibrium length, whereby the pressure of the working volume of gaseous working fluid is oscillated between a peak pressure greater than the equilibrium pressure and a minimum pressure less than the equilibrium pressure;wherein at least a portion of the thermal core is disposed in the flexur e volume. 12. The thermoacoustic device according to claim 11, further comprising;a pressure vessel, the compliant enclosure being disposed in the pressure vessel and an additional volume of pressurized gaseous working fluid filling the pressure vessel. 13. The thermoacoustic device according to claim 11, wherein a pressure amplitude, P l is defined as one half of the difference between the peak pressure and the minimum pressure of the working volume; and P l /P m ≧5%. 14. The thermoacoustic device according to claim 13, P l /P m ≧10%. 15. The thermoacoustic device according to claim 13, P l /P m ≧15%. 16. The thermoacoustic device according to claim 11, wherein the thermal core further comprises a regenerator disposed between the first and second heat exchangers. 17. The thermoacoustic device according to claim 16, further comprising an acoustic phasing means for adjusting the phase of the pressure and velocity of the working fluid in the regenerator such that pressure and velocity are substantially in phase with each other. 18. A thermoacoustic device comprising:a compliant enclosure including a rigid portion and a compliant portion, the compliant portion including an oscillating member and a flexure seal with a pair of ends and a flexure body extending therebetween, one of the ends being sealed to the rigid portion and the other end being sealed to the oscillating member, the flexure seal having an average cross sectional area and an end to end equilibrium length, a flexure volume, V flex , being defined as the product of the average cross sectional area and the end to end equilibrium length;a thermal core disposed in the compliant enclosure, the thermal core including at least a first and a second heat exchanger;a working volume, V o , of pressurized gaseous working fluid filling the compliant enclosure, the working volume of gaseous working fluid having equilibrium pressure; P m ; anda motor operable to oscillate the oscillating member such that the end to end length of the flexure seal is increased and decreased with respect to the equilibrium length, whereby the pressure of the working volume of gaseous working fluid is oscillated between a peak pressure greater than the equilibrium pressure and a minimum pressure less than the equilibrium pressure; a pressure amplitude, P l being defined as one half of the difference between the peak pressure and the minimum pressure of the working volume; wherein P l /P m ≧5%. 19. The thermoacoustic device according to claim 18, P l /P m ≧10%. 20. The thermoacoustic device according to claim 18, P l /P m ≧15%. 21. A thermoacoustic device comprising:a pressure vessel having an interior volume sealed therein;a compliant enclosure disposed in the interior volume of the pressure vessel, the compliant enclosure including a rigid portion and a compliant portion, the compliant portion including an oscillating member with a mass, m osc , and an area, A osc , and a flexure seal with a pair of ends and a flexure body extending therebetween, one of the ends being sealed to the rigid portion and the other end being sealed to the oscillating member, the flexure seal having an average cross sectional area and an end to end equilibrium length, a flexure volume, V flex , being defined as the product of the average cross sectional area and the end to end equilibrium length;a thermal core disposed in the compliant enclosure, the thermal core including at least a first and a second heat exchanger;a pressurized gaseous working fluid filling the compliant enclosure and the pressure vessel, the gaseous working fluid having a polytropic coefficient, γ, and an equilibrium pressure, p m , a working volume, V o , defined as the volume of working fluid contained in the compliant enclosure;a motor operable to oscillate the oscillating member at an operating frequency, f, such that the end to end length of the flex ure seal is increased and decreased with respect to the equilibrium length, the motor having a moving portion interconnected with the oscillating member, the moving portion having a mass, m motor ;a pressure vessel volume, V motor , being defined as the volume of gaseous working fluid in the interior volume of the pressure vessel and exterior to the compliant enclosure and not displaced by the motor;the oscillatory motion of the oscillating member being resisted by a spring force, k, equal to the sum of a mechanical stiffness, k mech , resultant from the flexure seal and a gas stiffness, k gas , resultant from the gaseous working fluid, the gas stiffness being defined as an optimal operating frequency, f opt , being defined as wherein m eff is the effective mass of the moving portion of the flexure seal; andthe operating frequency, f, being in the range of 0.8*f opt to 1.2*f opt . 22. The thermoacoustic device according to claim 21, wherein the operating frequency, f, being in the range of 0.9*f opt to 1.1*f opt . 23. The thermoacoustic device according to claim 21, wherein the operating frequency, f, is substantially equal to the optimal frequency, f opt . 24. The thermoacoustic device according to claim 21, further comprising a spring member connected to the oscillating member, the mechanical stiffness, k mech , being resultant from the flexure seal and the spring member and the effective mass, m eff, being the sum of the effective mass of the moving portion of the flexure seal and the effective mass of the moving portion of the spring member. 25. The thermoacoustic device according to claim 21, wherein a working volume, V o , is defined as the volume of working gaseous fluid filling the compliant enclosure; and V o ≦4* V flex . 26. The thermoacoustic device according to claim 25, wherein V o ≦2* V flex . 27. The thermoacoustic device according to claim 25, wherein V o ≦1* V flex . 28. The thermoacoustic device according to claim 25, wherein the oscillation of the oscillating member oscillates the pressure of the working volume of gaseous working fluid in the compliant enclosure between a peak pressure greater than the equilibrium pressure and a minimum pressure less than the equilibrium pressure, a pressure amplitude, P l being defined as one half of the difference between the peak pressure and the minimum pressure of the working volume; and P l /P m ≧5%. 29. The thermoacoustic device according to claim 28, P l /P m ≧10%. 30. The thermoacoustic device according to claim 28, P l /P m ≧15%. 31. A thermoacoustic device comprising:a pressure vessel having an interior volume sealed therein, the pressure vessel having a perimeter side wall;a piston disposed in the interior volume of the pressure vessel, the piston having a perimeter seal that slidably engages the side wall so as to define a working volume, V o , on one side of the piston and a motor volume, V motor on the opposite side of the piston, the piston having a mass, m osc , and an area, A osc ;a thermal core disposed in the working volume, the thermal core including at least a first and a second heat exchanger;a pressurized gaseous working fluid filling the working volume and the motor volume, the gaseous working fluid having a polytropic coefficient, γ, and an equilibrium pressure, P m ;a motor disposed in the motor volume, the motor being operable to oscillate the oscillating member at an operating frequency, f, such that the pressure of the gaseous working fluid in the working volume oscillates between a peak pressure greater than the equilibrium pressure and a minimum pressure less than the equilibrium pressure, the motor having a moving portion interconnected with the piston, the moving portion having a mass, m motor ;the oscillatory motion of the oscillating member being resisted by a spring force, k, equal to a gas stiffness, k gas , resultan t from the gaseous working fluid, the gas stiffness being defined as an optimal operating frequency, f opt , being defined as the operating frequency, f, being in the range of 0.8*f opt to 1.2*f opt . 32. The thermoacoustic device according to claim 31, wherein the operating frequency, f, being in the range of 0.9*f opt to 1.1*f opt . 33. The thermoacoustic device according to claim 31, wherein the operating frequency, f, is substantially equal to the optimal frequency, f opt . 34. The thermoacoustic device according to claim 31, further comprising a spring member connected to the oscillating member, the spring force, k, further including a mechanical stiffness, k mech , being resultant from the spring member, and the total mass, m total , further including an effective mass, m eff , equal to the effective mass of the moving portion of the spring member, such that 35. The thermoacoustic device according to claim 31, wherein a pressure amplitude, P l , is defined as one half of the difference between the peak pressure and the minimum pressure of the working volume; and P l /P m ≧5%. 36. The thermoacoustic device according to claim 35, P l /P m ≧10%. 37. The thermoacoustic device according to claim 35, P l /P m ≧15%.
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