Abstract：The effects of gravity on the efficiency of thermoacoustic engines are investigated theoretically and experimentally, especially for thermoacoustic pulse tube refrigerators. The significant effects of gravity are found to be due to the presence of natural convection in the thermoacoustic pulse tube when the hot side of the tube is lower than the cold side. This kind of natural convection influences and reduces the efficiency of the thermoacoustic working system. Thus, how to suppress this natural convection becomes important for increasing the efficiency of thermoacoustic engines. Unlike the method of inserting a silk screen in a pulse tube, the present study uses a numerical simulation method to research the natural convection in pulse tubes, and we try to change the shape of the pulse tube to suppress this convection.
2013, Vol. 30 
