http://www.sciam.com/article.cfm?chanID=sa003&articleID=00000C48-2202-1DED-A838809EC588F2D7
Hmm…really i don’t know…anyone can explain this to me how it works?
Maybe that’s why I’m freezing my ass off.
This is nothing new and I believe it is used in the Space Station. It works pretty much like a heat pump:
1- Compress fluid -> fluid heats up
2- Cool fluid by excanging heat with the heat sink
3- expand fluid -> fluid cools down
4- heat fluid by exchanging heat with the heat source
A conventional compressor system does this and also condenses the fuid in the process but the condensing is not strictly necessary. The thermoaccoustuic pump does the same thing in a simpler manner as it uses just a cavity and a standing accoustic wave. You have two areas of high and low pressure each and heat is transferred from one to the other. Pretty clever.
Yep, it is a really cool idea. Just be glad the sound generator can’t work outside of the cooling system. The article I read mentioned that the sound pressure level was something like 173dB. It also mentions that at 165dB your hair would catch on fire.
Check here:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/2543085.stm
Well, strictly speaking, is is a “sound” generator but we are talking large powers here so imagine an alternative piston rather than a radio loudspeaker.
I saw some web site with a detailed description but I cannot find it now. this page has a basic description of the idea: http://www.sas.org/E-Bulletin/2002-05-10/handsOnPhys/body.html
what would be really kewl is that you coiuld use the frige as a base box
Nope. The cooling effect will only take place if the pressure wave generated is of the correct frequency. Also, the fridge wouldn’t come with speaker connections.
Here is another one.