Improvement in an elementary thermoacoustic cooler performance – numerical approach

In this paper, resolve of improvement methods of performance of an elementary thermoacoustic cooler using the CFD approach was investigated. The research is based on preparing of possibly most accurate mathematical model of already constructed elementary cooling device and accomplishment of its further numerical analyses using commercially available numerical environment. In order to determine adequate methods of performance improvement, relevant changes in boundary conditions-concerning device geometry, materials and acoustic drive power-were introduced to subsequent models. To observe fluctuations of vital performance parameters-pressure and temperature-taking place during the functioning of the device, transient analyses were executed. The results of the study proved the possibility of the CFD code usage to identify influence of selected input parameters on final functioning of the device. The comparison of the obtained results indicated input data which have the strongest effect on final cooler work outcome. The investigation presented in this paper may state a introduction to analysis of performance of simple thermoacoustic refrigerators, especially using numerical approach, as well as an evidence of utility of computational fluid dynamics in design evaluation of thermal devices.