ASA 126th Meeting Denver 1993 October 4-8

2aPAa7. CFC-free refrigeration: Thermoacoustic technology-design, construction, and evaluation.

Joseph Paul Salyards, II

Route 1, Box 302-D, New Market, VA 22844

Environmental priorities are forcing chlorofluorocarbons (CFC's) out of the marketplace thereby creating a new demand for cooling technologies. The primary objective of this study was to design, construct, and evaluate a CFC-free refrigeration system. A prototype thermoacoustic (TAC) system utilizing high-amplitude sound waves in an inert gas was developed, and several designs were evaluated. The TAC system showed potential as an alternative refrigeration method with the optimum design resulting in a 42.2 (degrees)F drop in ambient air temperature. Potential applications exist in refrigeration and air-conditioning; the cooling of satellite-borne sensors; and as either a heat-driven sonar source, cryogenic refrigeration unit, or electric generator.