Working gases based scaling-down limitations for thermoacoustic coolers: Miniaturization approach

Abstract

Regarding miniaturization of thermoacoustic coolers for thermal management purposes, working gases play a key role as the primary media responsible for producing the so-called “thermoacoustic effect” with their interaction with solid media (i.e., secondary media) within stacks or regenerators. However, the role of working gases in limiting scaling-down of thermoacoustic coolers still needs more investigations compared to addressed operational parameters (i.e., mean pressure, temperature difference across stack, etc.). In the present study, a theoretical computational analysis, based on published literature work, would be conducted to investigate allowable minimum sizes of standing-wave thermoacoustic coolers under the effects of working gases thermo-physical properties with considering adverse effects limitation of thermal conduction losses. Different working gases including air and either pure or mixture noble gases have been used for such geometrical scaling-down analysis under specific operating conditions. Moreover, cooling power was focused here as the more desirable performance indicator rather than the efficiency. The results had revealed the cooling capability at different scale levels based on different working gases, which make gases properties significantly contribute to scalability of thermoacoustic coolers to meet the cooling needs for micro-electronics. In addition, more research work will be devoted to other scaling-down issues of thermoacoustic systems.Regarding miniaturization of thermoacoustic coolers for thermal management purposes, working gases play a key role as the primary media responsible for producing the so-called “thermoacoustic effect” with their interaction with solid media (i.e., secondary media) within stacks or regenerators. However, the role of working gases in limiting scaling-down of thermoacoustic coolers still needs more investigations compared to addressed operational parameters (i.e., mean pressure, temperature difference across stack, etc.). In the present study, a theoretical computational analysis, based on published literature work, would be conducted to investigate allowable minimum sizes of standing-wave thermoacoustic coolers under the effects of working gases thermo-physical properties with considering adverse effects limitation of thermal conduction losses. Different working gases including air and either pure or mixture noble gases have been used for such geometrical scaling-down analysis under specific operating condit...