Abstract
Oscillating flow in a refrigerator with a tapered double-inlet pulse tube was studied using smoke-wire flow visualization. Two types of tapered pulse tubes (convergent and divergent) were studied and then compared with a cylindrical pulse tube (i.e., uniform cross section). Effects of a tapered tube on the suppression of secondary flow were investigated for improvement in cooling performance. Visualization showed that, if the strength of DC flow is adjusted to minimize convective secondary flow induced by acoustic streaming, DC flow has a stronger effect on secondary flow than does a tapered tube. The tapering of a tube was not an effective method to reduce the secondary flow in a double-inlet pulse tube. Cooling performance by the divergent tapered tube was slightly superior compared to that by the cylindrical tube, whereas that by the convergent tapered tube was significantly inferior.
Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Free) 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
