Optimal design of coaxial travelling wave thermoacoustic cooler

This paper presents the design optimisation of the coaxial travelling wave thermoacoustic cooler driven by the standing wave thermoacoustic engine, the optimisation process being based the on linear thermoacoustic theory. The project aim is to propose an economical design of a prototype system which could be used by people living in remote rural areas of developing countries. The coaxial configuration of the travelling wave cooler is chosen due to the low-cost and compactness. Compressed air at 10 bar pressure is employed as a working medium while the device operating frequency is 50 Hz. The coaxial configuration forms a feedback inertance and compliance to create the travelling wave phasing similar to that in the torus geometry. The parameters affecting the COP have been investigated to evaluate the optimal configurations. The most sensitive ones were the cross sectional area and hydraulic radius of the regenerator and these are analysed in detail.