Numerical model of a thermoacoustic engine
Résumé
An asymptotically consistent small Mach number model of a standing wave thermoacoustic engine has been developed. A simple thermoacoustic engine consists of a resonating tube within which is inserted an acoustically compact assembly, composed of a stack of conducting plates, placed between two heat exchangers. The model couples one-dimensional linear acoustics in the resonator with a low Mach number viscous and conducting flow in the stack/heat exchangers section. The latter is solved through a two-dimensional numerical simulation. Results show that the model successfully captures the dynamics of the starting process. at a much lower cost than a fully compressible simulation of the entire engine.