JP2020118418A - Thermoacoustic engine - Google Patents

Abstract

To realize a thermoacoustic engine that can shorten a loop cylinder and a waveguide cylinder to reduce the entire size, is applicable even to household use, and is easy to assemble.SOLUTION: An acoustic cylinder T has a cylindrical body K1 in which an internal space is partitioned into a one-side space L1a and the other-side space L1b along a cylinder axis direction, and the one-side space L1a and the other-side space L1b form a circulation propagation path in a form in which the one-side space L1a and the other-side space L1b are connected at both end portions in the cylinder axis direction. The cylindrical body K1 is configured such that a one-side member T1a and the other-side member T1h are jointed, which are divided in a cross section passing through all the circulation propagation paths of itself.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

The present invention provides an acoustic tube in which a working medium is filled and in which sound waves propagate, between a heater that heats the working medium from the outside, a cooler that cools the working medium from the outside, and the heater and the cooler. A thermoacoustic, in which at least one prime mover including a first regenerator that amplifies acoustic energy of sound waves is provided, and at least one acoustic energy conversion unit that converts the acoustic energy amplified by the prime mover into electric power or heat is provided. Regarding the institution.

Conventionally, as a thermoacoustic engine, a loop cylinder that forms a circulation propagation path is provided as an acoustic cylinder, and a heater that heats the working medium from the outside and a cooler that heats the working medium from the outside are heated to the loop cylinder. A configuration including a prime mover including a first regenerator that amplifies acoustic energy of sound waves between a cooling device and a cooling device is known (see Patent Document 1).

JP, 2017-184457, A

In the thermoacoustic engine, in order to increase the energy density, downsizing of the system is desired, but in the case of forming a loop cylinder by connecting existing distribution pipes, elbows, and cheese, especially in the shapes of elbows and cheeses. Due to the limitation, it is inevitable that the loop cylinder becomes long and large. When the length of the loop cylinder is longer, the resonance frequency of the sound wave generated by the prime mover is lower (because the wavelength is longer). Therefore, when the configuration in which the waveguide cylinder is connected to the loop cylinder is adopted, When adopting a configuration in which a resonance tube provided with an acoustic energy conversion unit for converting acoustic energy amplified by a prime mover into electric power or heat is connected to a waveguide tube, the waveguide tube and the resonance tube must be lengthened. However, there was a problem that the system became large.

The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide a thermoacoustic engine that can reduce the size of an acoustic tube, can be applied to homes, and can be easily assembled. To provide.

The thermoacoustic engine for achieving the above object is
An acoustic tube filled with a working medium and in which sound waves propagate, a heater for heating the working medium from the outside, a cooler for cooling the working medium from the outside, and acoustic energy of sound waves between the heater and the cooler. A thermoacoustic engine having at least one or more prime mover composed of a first regenerator for amplifying the electric power, and one or more acoustic energy converting part for converting acoustic energy amplified by the prime mover into electric power or heat. , Its characteristic composition is
The acoustic tube has an inner space partitioned into one side space and the other side space along the cylinder axis direction, and the one side space and the other side space are connected at both end portions in the cylinder axis direction. In the form, the one side space and the other side space have a cylindrical main body forming a circulation propagation path,
At least the prime mover is disposed in the circulation propagation path,
The tubular body is configured by joining one side member and the other side member, which are divided in a cross section passing through all the circulation propagation paths of the tubular body.

According to the above characteristic configuration, the tubular main body is configured by joining the one-side member and the other-side member that are divided by the cross section that passes through all of the circulation propagation paths of itself, so when forming the circulation propagation path. In addition, it is not necessary to use elbow or cheese as in the prior art, and the space formed in the center of the loop cylinder as the circulation propagation path is not necessary, so that the cylindrical main body can be downsized. Further, due to the miniaturization of the tubular body, the resonance frequency can be increased (wavelength can be shortened), and the waveguide tube that may be connected to the loop tube that forms the circulation propagation path There is also a resonance cylinder that can be shortened. As a result, the thermoacoustic engine can be downsized, and the thermoacoustic engine applicable to home use can be realized.
In the present invention, the one-side member and the other-side member are joined to form a tubular member that forms a circulation propagation path. Therefore, a prime mover and a reciprocating turbine generator are provided inside the tubular member. When installing the etc., the one-side member and the other-side member can be installed in a divided state, and the easiness of positioning and installing them can be improved.
From the above, it is possible to realize a thermoacoustic engine which can be downsized and can be applied to household use and which can be easily assembled.

Further features of the thermoacoustic engine are:
The acoustic tube has a waveguide tube that is connected to the tubular body for communication.
A point is that a joint opening for joining the waveguide is provided in either one of the one-side member and the other-side member.

According to the above-mentioned characteristic configuration, the joint opening for joining the waveguide tube is provided in either one of the one-side member and the other-side member. The waveguide tube can be joined to the tubular body composed of the one side member and the other side member without interfering with the joining portion with the side member, and a stable joined state can be realized.

Further features of the thermoacoustic engine are:
The internal space of the tubular main body constitutes a part of a partition wall that partitions the internal space into the one side space and the other side space when the one side member and the other side member are joined. A part of the partition wall is provided on the one side member, and a remaining part partition wall that constitutes the remaining part of the partition wall is provided on the other side member,
In the joined state of the one-side member and the other-side member, a seal member is interposed between the partial partition wall and the remaining partition wall.

In the configuration of the tubular main body as the acoustic tube that has been described so far, propagation of sound waves through the partition wall between the one side space and the other side space leads to attenuation of acoustic energy. It is preferable to avoid it. However, due to the structure of the tubular body, it is not possible to seal the space between the partial partition wall and the remaining partition wall by welding or the like.
According to the above characteristic configuration, in the joined state of the one side member and the other side member, since the seal member is interposed between the partial partition wall and the remaining partition wall, welding or the like is not used. It is possible to favorably prevent the sound waves from passing through the partition wall and propagating between the one side space and the other side space while adopting a relatively simple configuration.
It should be noted that in the use state, a pressure of a certain level or more (for example, a pressure of 1 MPaG or more) is applied to the inside of the tubular main body as the acoustic tube, but the one side space and the other side space are Since the same pressure is applied to the partition wall, a high pressure resistance is not required for the partition wall formed by joining the partial partition wall and the remaining partition wall to each other. The effect can be exhibited well.

Further features of the thermoacoustic engine are:
When the maximum inner diameter of the acoustic tube is 2.0 cm or more and 10 cm or less, the internal pressure of the acoustic tube is set to 1 MPa or more.

When the acoustic tube is downsized to reduce the inner diameter as in the inventions described so far, there is a problem that the viscous loss increases and the output decreases.
As a result of the study, the inventors of the present invention set the maximum value of the inner diameter of the acoustic tube to 2.0 cm or more and 10 cm or less, and set the internal pressure of the acoustic tube to 1.0 MPa or more, thereby It was confirmed by simulation that a desired output above a certain level can be obtained even when the size is reduced and the inner diameter is reduced.

Exploded perspective view of an acoustic tube of a thermoacoustic engine Assembly diagram of thermoacoustic engine Conceptual diagram showing dimensional relationship and energy balance of thermoacoustic engine The graph figure which shows the relationship between the internal pressure of an acoustic cylinder, and an output in case an acoustic cylinder has a predetermined cylinder diameter. Graph showing the relationship between the inner diameter of the acoustic tube and the propagation efficiency

The thermoacoustic engine 100 according to the embodiment of the present invention relates to a thermoacoustic engine which can be downsized and can be applied to home use and which can be easily assembled. Hereinafter, the thermoacoustic engine 100 according to the embodiment will be described with reference to the drawings.

As shown in FIG. 3, the thermoacoustic engine 100 cools the working medium from the outside with a heater 71 that heats the working medium from the outside in an acoustic tube T that is filled with the working medium (for example, helium) and propagates sound waves. At least one prime mover 70 (one in the embodiment) including a cooler 72, a heater 71, and a first regenerator 73 for amplifying acoustic energy of sound waves is provided between the cooler 72 and a working medium. A heat absorber 81 that absorbs heat from the outside, a radiator 82 that the working medium radiates heat to the outside, and a second regenerator 83 that compresses and expands between the heat absorber 81 and the radiator 82 in the form of sound waves consuming acoustic energy. At least one (in the embodiment, one) acoustic heat pump unit 80 (an example of an acoustic energy conversion unit that converts acoustic energy into electric power or heat) is provided.

If a description is added, as shown in FIG. 3, the thermoacoustic engine 100 is configured by connecting a first loop cylinder T1 and a second loop cylinder T2, which are filled with a working medium and propagate sound waves, with a waveguide cylinder T3. In the embodiment, a single prime mover 70 is provided in the first loop cylinder T1 and a single acoustic heat pump unit 80 is provided in the second loop cylinder T2.

Hereinafter, it comprises a heater 71 for heating the working medium from the outside, a cooler 72 for cooling the working medium from the outside, and a first regenerator 73 for amplifying acoustic energy of sound waves between the heater 71 and the cooler 72. The description of the prime mover 70 will be added.

Although not shown in detail, the heater 71 includes a jacket portion (not shown) that allows the heat medium HW to flow therethrough, and fins (not shown) that extend from the jacket portion into the acoustic tube T. The heater 71 heats the working fluid in a form in which the fin is heated by the heat medium HW flowing through the jacket portion and heat is transferred from the fin to the working fluid inside the acoustic tube T.

The cooler 72 includes a jacket portion (not shown) that allows the coolant to flow therethrough, and fins (not shown) that extend from the jacket portion into the acoustic tube T. The cooler 72 cools the working fluid in such a form that the fins are cooled by the refrigerant CW flowing through the jacket portion and the heat is conducted from the fins to the working fluid inside the acoustic tube T.

The first regenerator 73 provided between the heater 71 and the cooler 72 is, for example, in the cylinder axis direction with the plate surface along the direction orthogonal to the cylinder axis direction of the acoustic tube T. It is composed of a plurality of thin plate-like members (not shown) arranged along the line.
The thin plate member has, for example, a thickness of 50 μm or more and 100 μm or less, and is provided about 300 to 600 sheets. The thin plate member is provided with a large number of through holes (not shown) penetrating in the direction along the axial direction of the cylinder and having a diameter of about 200 μm to 300 μm.

The working fluid exists inside the acoustic cylinder T in a state of causing a slight fluctuation in the cylinder axial direction. In other words, the sound wave propagating through the working fluid forms a traveling wave from one side to the other side and a traveling wave from the other side to the one side between both the heater 71 and the cooler 72.
When forming a traveling wave from the cooler 72 to the heater 71 side, the sound wave propagating through the working fluid passes through a plurality of through holes of the thin plate member as the first regenerator 73 near the heater 71. At the same time, the inner wall of the through hole is brought into contact therewith to be heated, and at the same time, the fins of the heater 71 are directly heated to expand. On the other hand, when the sound wave propagating through the working fluid forms a traveling wave from the heater 71 to the cooler 72 side, a plurality of through holes of the thin plate member as the first regenerator 73 near the cooler 72 are formed. When it passes through, the inner wall of the through hole is brought into contact therewith to be cooled, and the fins of the cooler 72 are also directly cooled to shrink the through hole.
As a result, the sound wave as the traveling wave causes self-excited oscillation, and the acoustic energy is amplified, so that the heat energy is converted into the acoustic energy of the sound wave.

The working medium may be composed of gas that propagates sound waves. Here, since it is desirable that heat exchange in the first regenerator 73 be performed quickly, helium or hydrogen having a high thermal diffusion coefficient is desirable as the working medium. Further, for the purpose of power generation, a gas having a high molecular weight is desirable, so a gas such as argon may be mixed. Since it is thermally stable, helium is used as the working medium in this embodiment.

The acoustic energy of the sound wave amplified by the prime mover 70 propagates from the first loop cylinder T1 of the acoustic cylinder T to the acoustic heat pump unit 80 of the second loop cylinder T2.
The acoustic heat pump unit 80 compresses and compresses acoustic waves between the heat absorber 81 for absorbing the working medium from the outside, the radiator 82 for radiating the working medium to the outside, and the acoustic wave between the heat absorber 81 and the radiator 82. And an expanding second regenerator 83.

Although not shown in detail, the heat absorber 81 includes a jacket (not shown) that allows the output refrigerant Wout to flow therethrough, and fins (not shown) that extend from the jacket to the inside of the acoustic tube T. In the heat absorber 81, the fins absorb heat from the output refrigerant Wout flowing through the jacket portion, and the working medium inside the acoustic tube T absorbs heat from the fins.

The radiator 82 includes a jacket portion (not shown) that allows the coolant CW to flow therethrough, and fins (not shown) that extend from the jacket portion into the acoustic tube T. In the radiator 82, the working medium inside the acoustic tube T radiates heat to the fins, and the radiated heat is radiated to the refrigerant CW flowing through the jacket portion.

Here, the acoustic heat pump unit 80 compresses the sound wave propagating through the working fluid when a traveling wave from the heat absorber 81 to the radiator 82 side is compressed, and the traveling wave from the radiator 82 to the heat absorber 81 side is compressed. The heat absorber 81, the second regenerator 83, and the heat radiator 82 are arranged at appropriate positions in the acoustic tube T so as to expand when forming the.
As a result, when the sound wave propagating through the working fluid forms a traveling wave from the heat absorber 81 to the radiator 82 side, the second regenerator 83 absorbs heat while raising the temperature, and the radiator 82 It radiates heat in a high temperature state. As a result, in the radiator 82, the refrigerant CW flowing through the jacket portion is heated in a form of exchanging heat with the working medium having a higher temperature than the output refrigerant Wout flowing through the jacket portion of the heat absorber 81.
On the other hand, when the sound wave propagating through the working fluid forms a traveling wave from the radiator 82 to the heat absorber 81 side, the working medium radiates and cools while expanding in the second regenerator 83, and the heat absorber 81 It absorbs heat at low temperature. Thus, in the heat absorber 81, the output refrigerant Wout flowing through the jacket portion is cooled in a form in which the working medium having a sufficiently low temperature absorbs heat.
Incidentally, as described above, in the step of absorbing heat while compressing in the second regenerator 83 and the step of radiating heat while expanding, the acoustic energy of the sound wave is consumed and the sound wave is attenuated, but the acoustic energy is absorbed from the prime mover 70. Since they are sequentially replenished, the heat pump function of the acoustic heat pump unit 80 is maintained.

The second regenerator 83 provided between the heat absorber 81 and the radiator 82 is the same in shape and material as the first regenerator 73.
Note that the cylinder diameter, the cylinder length, the shape, and the like of the acoustic cylinder T are converted from the thermal energy of the prime mover 70 into the acoustic energy, based on the hole diameters of the through holes of the first regenerator 73 and the second regenerator 83. The efficiency and the conversion efficiency of the acoustic heat pump unit 80 from acoustic energy to heat energy are appropriately set.

Now, in the thermoacoustic engine 100 according to the embodiment, as shown in the exploded perspective view of FIG. 1 and the assembly view of FIG. 2, the first loop cylinder as the acoustic cylinder T in order to downsize the configuration. T1 is composed of a tubular body K1.
As shown in FIG. 1, the cylindrical main body K1 is divided into an inner space L1a and another space L1b along the cylinder axis direction (P0 in FIG. 2), and both ends in the cylinder axis direction. One side space L1a and the other side space L1b form a circulation propagation path (a flow path in which L1a and L1b are connected) in a form in which the one side space L1a and the other side space L1b are connected at a site. The tubular body K1 is configured by joining one side member T1a and the other side member T1h, which are divided in a cross section passing through all the circulation propagation paths of the tubular body K1.
Incidentally, the one-side member T1a and the other-side member T1h are in a joined state in a form in which the entire outer peripheries thereof are welded. Further, in the internal space of the tubular body K1, a part of a partition wall that partitions the internal space into the one side space L1a and the other side space L1b in the joined state of the one side member T1a and the other side member T1h is formed. The partial partition wall T1b is provided on the one side member T1a, and the remaining partition wall T1i forming the remaining part of the partition wall is provided on the other side member T1h. A seal member T1j is interposed between the partial partition wall T1b and the residual partition wall T1i, and the partial partition wall T1b and the residual partition wall T1i are hermetically connected.
Further, a prime mover 70 including a heater 71, a cooler 72, and a prime mover 70 is provided in the other side space L1b of the internal space of the tubular body K1, and the one side member T1a includes the internal space. A joint opening T1c to which the waveguide T3 is joined by welding is formed in a portion close to the other side space L1b on either one of both end portions.
Incidentally, in the embodiment, the one-side member T1a and the other-side member T1h are configured to have the same shape except for the configuration related to the joint opening T1c.

The acoustic cylinder T is configured to include a second loop cylinder T2 in addition to the first loop cylinder T1, and the second loop cylinder T2 is composed of a cylindrical body K2. The tubular body K2 has the same configuration as the tubular body K1 except that the tubular body K1 has a long length along the tubular axis direction (P0 or P1 in FIG. 2).
As shown in FIG. 1, the cylindrical main body K2 is divided into an inner space L2a and another space L2b along the cylinder axis direction (P1 in FIG. 2), and both ends in the cylinder axis direction. The one side space L2a and the other side space L2b form a circulation propagation path (a flow path in which L2a and L2b are connected) in a form in which the one side space L2a and the other side space L2b are connected at a site. The tubular body K2 is configured by joining one side member T2a and the other side member T2h, which are divided in a cross section passing through all the circulation propagation paths of the tubular body K2.
Incidentally, the one-side member T2a and the other-side member T2h are in a joined state in a form in which the entire outer peripheries thereof are welded. Furthermore, in the internal space of the tubular body K2, one of the partition walls that divides the internal space into the one side space L2a and the other side space (not shown) in the joined state of the one side member T2a and the other side member T2h. A partial partition wall (not shown) forming a part is provided on the one side member T2a, and a remaining partition wall T2i forming a remaining part of the partition wall is provided on the other side member T2h, and the one side member T2a and the other side In the joined state with the member T2h, the seal member T2j is interposed between the partial partition wall (not shown) and the residual partition wall T2i, and the partial partition wall (not shown) and the residual partition wall An airtight connection is made between T2i and T2i.
Further, an acoustic heat pump unit 80 including a heat absorber 81, a radiator 82, and a second regenerator 83 is disposed in the one side space L2a of the internal space of the tubular main body K2, and the one side member T2a. Has a joint opening T2c at which one of the two ends of the internal space is close to the one side space L2a, and the waveguide T3 is joined by welding.
Incidentally, in the embodiment, the one-side member T2a and the other-side member T2h are configured to have the same shape except for the configuration related to the joint opening T2c.

In the acoustic tube T according to the embodiment, when working as the thermoacoustic engine 100, it is necessary to set the internal pressure to a certain level or more (for example, 1.0 MPa or more) in order to produce a predetermined output. Therefore, the tubular bodies K1 and K2 are preferably made of a material having a certain pressure resistance, and for example, a material such as stainless steel can be preferably used.

[About dimensional relationship and energy balance]
In the thermoacoustic engine 100 described above, it is possible to downsize the entire configuration, but if the tube diameter of the acoustic tube T is reduced to several cm with the downsizing, viscous loss increases. However, it may not be possible to obtain sufficient output. In the following, in the thermoacoustic engine 100 having a predetermined dimensional relationship, the energy balance is calculated, and the relationship between the internal pressure of the acoustic tube T and the output in the thermoacoustic engine 100 having the dimensional relationship is calculated by a simulation. The range of the appropriate internal pressure of the acoustic tube T capable of exhibiting an appropriate output in the thermoacoustic engine 100 having the dimensional relationship was derived.

In the thermoacoustic engine 100 shown in FIG. 3, the in-cylinder diameter of the acoustic cylinder T is 3 cm, and the positions of X0 to X11 along the cylinder axis direction starting from X0 are as shown in Table 1 below. The thermoacoustic engine 100 of FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram, and the scale of the value of the in-cylinder diameter is not the same as the scale of the positions indicated by X0 to X11.

The fine channel radius of the first regenerator 73 and the second regenerator 83 was 0.036 mm, the porosity was 83%, the working medium was He, the mesh opening of the metal mesh was 0.14 mm, and the wire diameter was 0. The energy balance is shown when the pressure is 04 mm, the oscillation frequency is 320 Hz, and the internal pressure of the acoustic tube T is 1.0 MPa.
In the cooler 72, the inflow temperature t1 of the refrigerant CW flows at a temperature of 15° C. and the heat absorption amount Q1 is 1369 W. In the heater 71, the inflow temperature t2 of the heat medium HW is 400° C. and the heat radiation amount Q2 is 1881 W. In the radiator 82, it is assumed that the inflow temperature t3 of the refrigerant CW is 15° C. and the heat radiation amount Q3 by the working medium is 538 W. In this case, in the heat absorber 81, the amount of heat absorbed by the working medium of the output refrigerant Wout Q4 is 193 W, and the output temperature t4 is -50°C.

The heat sound conversion efficiency of the prime mover 70 is 27%, and the generated acoustic energy ΔQg is 512W. Propagation from the prime mover to the acoustic heat pump attenuates acoustic energy from 512W to 345W. The sound-heat conversion efficiency of the acoustic heat pump unit 80 is 56%, and the converted and consumed acoustic energy ΔQh is 345W.

Here, when the internal pressure of the acoustic tube T of the thermoacoustic engine 100 having the dimensional relationship described above changes, the input heat energy to the prime mover 70, the acoustic energy output from the prime mover 70, and the conversion efficiency are: As shown in FIG.
It can be seen from FIG. 4 that the acoustic energy as output increases in proportion to the internal pressure when the heat exchange amount limitation is not taken into consideration. When the output of the thermoacoustic engine 100 is used in a refrigerator, a conversion efficiency of 20% or higher is desired, so that the thermoacoustic engine 100 having the above-described dimensional relationship requires pressurization of 1.0 MPa or higher for practical use.

Further, FIG. 5 shows the simulation result when the inner diameter of the acoustic tube T is used as a parameter and the internal pressure is 2.5 MPa. The other conditions are the same as those described above.
From the simulation results shown in FIG. 5, it can be said that the system does not work when the inner diameter is 1.5 mm or less, the propagation loss is large. From the simulation results, it is preferable that the maximum inner diameter of the acoustic tube T is 2.0 cm or more and 10 cm or less when the internal pressure is 1.0 MPa or more.

[Another embodiment]
(1) In the above embodiment, the configuration example in which the acoustic heat pump unit 80 is provided as the acoustic energy conversion unit is shown.
As the acoustic energy conversion unit, instead of the acoustic heat pump unit 80, a configuration including a reciprocating turbine generator that generates electric power from vibration of sound waves may be adopted.
If a description is added, the reciprocating turbine generator, although not shown, is provided inside the second loop cylinder T2 of the acoustic cylinder T with one rotor and a pair of rotors sandwiching the rotor. It has fixed wings. In the configuration, the rotary blade is imparted with a rotational force by both a sound wave swirled by one fixed blade toward the rotary blade and a sound wave swirled by the other fixed blade toward the rotary blade. However, the pair of fixed blades is provided such that the sound waves swirled by the two fixed blades have the same rotational direction of the rotational force applied to the rotary blades.
Further, the rotor is provided with a rotor as an induction generator, and at the portion where the rotor is provided in the cylinder axis direction of the acoustic tube T, the induction power generation is performed on the outer diameter portion of the acoustic tube T. A stator as a machine is provided, and an induced electromotive force is generated by a coil as a stator as the rotor rotates together with the rotor blades.
By adopting this configuration, the vibration energy of the sound wave generated inside the acoustic tube T is converted into electric energy.

(2) In the above embodiment, the acoustic cylinder T is composed of the second loop cylinder T2 and the waveguide cylinder T3 in addition to the first loop cylinder T1.
However, the acoustic cylinder T may be composed of only the first loop cylinder T1, or the first loop cylinder T1 may be composed of the one side member T1a and the other side member T1h as the cylindrical body K1. Absent. When adopting this configuration, the prime mover 70 and the acoustic energy conversion unit are provided in the first loop cylinder T1. In addition, the one-side member T1a has a configuration in which the joining opening T1c to which the waveguide T3 is joined is not provided.
Further, in this configuration, the acoustic cylinder T may be composed of the first loop cylinder T1 and the waveguide cylinder T3 connected to the first loop cylinder T1. In this case, a configuration may be adopted in which the prime mover 70 is provided in the first loop cylinder T1 and the reciprocating turbine generator is provided in the waveguide cylinder T3 as an acoustic energy conversion unit.

(3) In the above embodiment, the example in which the one-side member T1a and the other-side member T1h as the tubular body K1 forming the first loop cylinder T1 are joined by welding has been shown. As another example, the one-side member T1a and the other-side member T1h may have a flange portion and may be joined to each other by fastening the flange portion with a bolt or the like.
The same applies to the joining of the one-side member T2a and the other-side member T2h that form the second loop tube T2, and the joining of the waveguide tube T3 and the one-side member T1a, and the waveguide tube T3 and the one-side member T2a. The same applies to the joining with.

Note that the configurations disclosed in the above-described embodiments (including other embodiments, the same applies hereinafter) can be applied in combination with the configurations disclosed in the other embodiments, as long as no contradiction occurs. The embodiments disclosed in the present specification are exemplifications, and the embodiments of the present invention are not limited thereto, and can be appropriately modified within a range not departing from the object of the present invention.

INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY The thermoacoustic engine of the present invention can be shortened by shortening the loop tube and the waveguide tube and can be downsized as a whole. It is available.

70: prime mover 71: heater 72: cooler 73: first regenerator 80: acoustic heat pump 81: heat absorber 82: radiator 83: second regenerator 100: thermoacoustic engine L1a: one side space L1b: other side Space L2a: One side space L2b: Other side space T1a: One side member T1b: Partial partition wall T1c: Joining opening T1h: Other side member T1i: Remaining partition wall T1j: Sealing member T2a: One side member T2c: Joining opening Part T2h: Other member T2i: Remaining partition wall T2j: Seal member T3: Waveguide

Claims (4)

An acoustic tube filled with a working medium and in which sound waves propagate, a heater for heating the working medium from the outside, a cooler for cooling the working medium from the outside, and acoustic energy of sound waves between the heater and the cooler. A thermoacoustic engine having at least one or more prime mover composed of a first regenerator for amplifying the electric power, and one or more acoustic energy converting part for converting acoustic energy amplified by the prime mover into electric power or heat. ,
The acoustic tube has an inner space partitioned into one side space and the other side space along the cylinder axis direction, and the one side space and the other side space are connected at both end portions in the cylinder axis direction. In the form, the one side space and the other side space have a cylindrical main body forming a circulation propagation path,
At least the prime mover is arranged in the circulation propagation path,
The tubular main body is a thermoacoustic engine configured by joining one side member and the other side member, which are divided in a cross section passing through all the circulation propagation paths of itself. The acoustic tube has a waveguide tube that is connected to the tubular body for communication.
The thermoacoustic engine according to claim 1, wherein one of the one-side member and the other-side member is provided with a joint opening for joining the waveguide. The internal space of the tubular main body constitutes a part of a partition wall that partitions the internal space into the one side space and the other side space when the one side member and the other side member are joined. A part of the partition wall is provided on the one side member, and a remaining part partition wall that constitutes the remaining part of the partition wall is provided on the other side member,
The thermoacoustic engine according to claim 1 or 2, wherein a seal member is interposed between the partial partition wall and the remaining partition wall in a joined state of the one-side member and the other-side member. The thermoacoustic engine according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein when the maximum inner diameter of the acoustic tube is 2.0 cm or more and 10 cm or less, the internal pressure of the acoustic tube is set to 1.0 MPa or more. ..

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