Study of nonlinear processes of a large experimental thermoacoustic-Stirling heat engine by using computational fluid dynamics

This article focuses on using computational fluid dynamics (CFD) method to study several important nonlinear phenomenon and processes of a large experimental thermoacoustic-Stirling heat engine. First, the simulated physical model was introduced, and the suitable numerical scheme and algorithm for the time-dependent compressible thermoacoustic system was determined through extensive numerical tests. Then, the simulation results of the entire evolution process of self-excited thermoacoustic oscillation and the acoustical characteristics of pressure and velocity waves were presented and analyzed. Especially, the onset temperature and the saturation process of dynamic pressure were captured by the CFD simulation. In addition, another important nonlinear phenomenon accompanying the acoustic wave, which is the steady mass flow through the traveling-wave loop inside the thermoacoustic engine, was studied. To suppress the steady mass flow numerically, a fan model was adopted in the simulation. Finally, the multidimensional effects of vortex formation in the thermal buffer tube and other components were displayed numerically. Most importantly, a substantial comparison between the simulation and experiments was made, which demonstrated well the validity and powerfulness of the CFD simulation for characterizing several complicated nonlinear phenomenon involved in the self-excited thermoacoustic heat engine. (C) 2007 American Institute of Physics.