Harnessing thermoacoustics for waste heat recovery

Abstract

Environmental concerns and economic incentives have created a push for a reduction in emissions and an increase in efficiency. The U.S. Department of Energy estimates that 20 to 50% of the energy consumed in manufacturing processes is lost in some form to waste heat. The purpose of this study is to review the waste heat recovery technologies currently available in both commercial and research applications to determine how thermoacoustics may serve a role in furthering the use of waste heat recovery units. A literary review of the most common waste heat recovery units was compiled to determine the advantages and disadvantages of the different technologies by comparing components and their governing processes. An existing model of a thermoacoustic converter (TAC) was reviewed and a conceptual analysis written to suggest improvements for future experimental designs.