Comparative Performance of Thermoacoustic Heat Exchangers with Different Pore Geometries in Oscillatory Flow. Implementation of Experimental Techniques

Heat exchangers (HXs) constitute key components of thermoacoustic devices and play an important role in determining the overall engine performance. In oscillatory flow conditions, however, standard heat transfer correlations for steady flows cannot be directly applied to thermoacoustic HXs, for which reliable and univocal design criteria are still lacking. This work is concerned with the initial stage of a research aimed at studying the thermal performance of thermoacoustic HXs. The paper reports a detailed discussion of the design and fabrication of the experimental set-up, measurement methodology and test-HXs characterized by two different pore geometries, namely a circular pore geometry and a rectangular (i.e., straight fins) pore geometry. The test rig is constituted by a standing wave engine where the test HXs play the role of ambient HXs. The experiment is conceived to allow the variation of a range of testing conditions such as drive ratio, operation frequency, acoustic particle velocity, etc. The procedure for estimating the gas side heat transfer coefficient for the two involved geometries is described. Some preliminary experimental results concerning the HX with straight fins are also shown. The present research could help in achieving a deeper understanding of the heat transfer processes affecting HXs under oscillating flow regime and in developing design optimization procedures.