réfrigérateur thermoacoustique

CONT: Frigo écologique. Steve Garrett, un physicien américain [...], [a mis] au point un réfrigérateur thermoacoustique, dans lequel la chaleur est pompée par l'action d'ondes sonores de forte intensité sur un gaz. Découvert au début des années 80, cet effet de réfrigération thermoacoustique a permis à Garrett [...] de construire un premier prototype [...]. L'avantage de ces frigos d'un nouveau type : ils ne font pas appel aux gaz CFC, considérés comme nuisibles pour la couche d'ozone.

CONT: Thermoacoustics is the study of the thermoacoustic effect and the attempt to harness the effect as a useful heat engine. A thermoacoustic refrigerator uses the thermoacoustic effect to move heat with sound. … Thermoacoustic refrigerators … use inert gasses which are both readily available, inexhaustible, and completely environmentally benign! And, because they can utilize waste heat as an energy source, they are extremely environmentally friendly. In addition, since thermoacoustic refrigerators do not use the compressors, lubricants, sliding seals, and other gizmos present in vapor compression refrigerators, the thermoacoustic refrigerator should be more reliable. In fact, a heat driven refrigerator does not need any moving parts in the refrigeration cycle! Finally, since thermoacoustic systems tend to work at higher frequencies and at single frequencies, noise and vibration control is actually easier than for a conventional refrigerator - so thermoacoustic refrigerators should be even quieter than the refrigerators of today.

CONT: Se diseñó y construyó un refrigerador termoacústico piloto cuya onda de sonido es suministrada por una máquina térmica termoacústica (TADTAR-1) con el fin de obtener experiencia en la construcción de este tipo de dispositivos.