Thermoacoustic Driven Compressor

Abstract

The present disclosure details a thermoacoustic driven compressor having a pressurized housing, which contains within a thermoacoustic engine and a working gas, coupled to a positive displacement reciprocating compressor. The thermoacoustic driven compressor generates scalable compressed air from a given heat source.

1 . A thermoacoustic compressor, comprising:
 a) a first housing having a first end, a second end, an inner wall, and an outer wall, said first housing defining a first cavity, and said second end of said first housing defining a first piston rod aperture;   b) a second housing having a first end, a second end, an inner wall, and an outer wall, said first end of said second housing operably connected to said second end of said first housing, said second housing comprising pressurized gas or fluid and defining a second cavity, and said first end of said second housing defining a second piston rod aperture;   c) a reciprocating piston axially movable within said first and second cavities, said reciprocating piston comprising:
 i) a compression piston head having a first end, a second end, and an outer wall, said compression piston head disposed in said first cavity, said first end of said compression piston head and said first end of said first housing defining a first variable-volume chamber, and said second end of said compression piston head and said second end of said first housing defining a second variable-volume chamber; 
 ii) a piston rod having a first end and a second end, said first end of said piston rod connected to said second end of said compression piston head; and 
 iii) a resonating piston head having a first end, a second end, and an outer wall, said resonating piston head disposed in said second cavity, said first end of said resonating piston head and said first end of said second housing defining a third variable-volume chamber, and said second end of said resonating piston head and said second end of said second housing defining a fourth variable-volume chamber, said first end of said resonating piston head connected to said second end of said piston rod; 
   d) a valved intake port and a valved discharge port on said first end of said first housing;   e) a thermoacoustic engine connected to said inner wall of said second housing positioned between said second end of said resonating piston head and said second end of said second housing;   f) a means for inhibiting gas flow between said first and said second housing;   g) a means for providing or delivering heat to said thermoacoustic engine; and   h) a means for removing heat from said thermoacoustic engine.   
     
     
         2 . The thermoacoustic compressor of  claim 1 , wherein said compression piston head comprises at least a first sealing means disposed between said outer wall of said compression piston head and said inner wall of said first housing. 
     
     
         3 . The thermoacoustic compressor of  claim 1 , wherein said compression piston head is lubricated. 
     
     
         4 . The thermoacoustic compressor of  claim 1 , further comprising a displacement control and return means within said first housing. 
     
     
         5 . The thermoacoustic compressor of  claim 1 , wherein said thermoacoustic engine comprises a thermoacoustic core. 
     
     
         6 . The thermoacoustic compressor of  claim 5 , wherein said thermoacoustic core comprises a hot exchanger, a cold exchanger, and a stack. 
     
     
         7 . The thermoacoustic compressor of  claim 5 , wherein said thermoacoustic engine core comprises a hot exchanger, a cold exchanger, and a regenerator. 
     
     
         8 . The thermoacoustic compressor of  claim 1 , wherein said second housing comprises or defines a torus. 
     
     
         9 . The thermoacoustic compressor of  claim 1 , further comprising a second valved intake port and a second valved discharge port on said second end of said first housing. 
     
     
         10 . The thermoacoustic compressor of  claim 1 , further comprising a third housing having a first end, a second end, an inner wall, and an outer wall, said first end of said second housing operably connected to said second end of said third housing, said second end of said first housing operably connected to said first end of said third housing, said third housing defining a third cavity, said first end of said third housing defining a third piston rod aperture, and said second end of said third housing defining a fourth piston rod aperture. 
     
     
         11 . The thermoacoustic compressor of  claim 1 , wherein said second housing further comprises a plurality of thermoacoustic engines in series. 
     
     
         12 . The thermoacoustic compressor of  claim 1 , further comprising a gas or fluid bearing disposed in a clearance gap between said outer wall of said compression piston and said inner wall of said first housing. 
     
     
         13 . The thermoacoustic compressor of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a) a third housing having a first end, a second end, an inner wall, and an outer wall, said third housing defining a third cavity, said second end of said third housing operably connected to said first end of said first housing, and said second end of said third housing defining a third piston rod aperture;   b) a second compression piston head having a first end, a second end, and an outer wall, said second compression piston head disposed in said third cavity, said first end of said second compression piston head and said first end of said third housing defining a fifth variable-volume chamber, and said second end of said second compression piston head and said second end of said third housing defining a sixth variable-volume chamber;   c) a second piston rod having a first end and a second end, said first end of said second piston rod connected to said first end of said compression piston head, and said second end of said second piston rod connected to said second end of said second compression piston head; and   d) a second valved intake port and a second valved discharge port on said first end of said third housing.   
     
     
         14 . A thermoacoustic compressor comprising:
 a) a first housing having a first end, a second end, an inner wall, and an outer wall, said first housing defining a first cavity, and said second end of said first housing defining a first piston rod aperture;   b) a second housing having a first end, a second end, an inner wall, and an outer wall, said first end of said second housing operably connected to said second end of said first housing, said second housing comprising pressurized gas or fluid and defining a second cavity, and said first end of said second housing defining a second piston rod aperture;   c) a third housing having a first end, a second end, an inner wall, and an outer wall, said second end of said third housing operably connected to said first end of said first housing, said third housing comprising pressurized gas or fluid and defining a third cavity, and said second end of said third housing defining a third piston rod aperture;   d) a reciprocating piston axially movable within said first, second, and third cavities, said reciprocating piston comprising:
 i) a compression piston head having a first end, a second end, and an outer wall, said compression piston head disposed in said first cavity, said first end of said compression piston head and said first end of said first housing defining a first variable-volume chamber, and said second end of said compression piston head and said second end of said first housing defining a second variable-volume chamber; 
 ii) a first piston rod having a first end and a second end, said first end of said first piston rod connected to said second end of said compression piston head; 
 iii) a first resonating piston head having a first end, a second end, and an outer wall, said first resonating piston head disposed in said second cavity, said first end of said first resonating piston head and said first end of said second housing defining a third variable-volume chamber, and said second end of said first resonating piston head and said second end of said second housing defining a fourth variable-volume chamber, said first end of said first resonating piston head connected to said second end of said first piston rod; 
 iv) a second piston rod having a first end and a second end, said second end of said second piston rod connected to said first end of said compression piston head; and 
 v) a second resonating piston head having a first end, a second end, and an outer wall, said second resonating piston head disposed in said third cavity, said first end of said second resonating piston head and said first end of said third housing defining a fifth variable-volume chamber, and said second end of said second resonating piston head and said second end of said third housing defining a sixth variable-volume chamber, said second end of said second resonating piston head connected to said first end of said second piston rod; 
   e) a first valved intake port and a first valved discharge port on said first end of said first housing;   f) a first thermoacoustic engine connected to said inner wall of said second housing positioned between said second end of said first resonating piston head and said second end of said second housing;   g) a second thermoacoustic engine connected to said inner wall of said third housing positioned between said first end of said second resonating piston head and said first end of said third housing;   h) a means for inhibiting gas flow between said first and said second housing;   i) a means for inhibiting gas flow between said first and said third housing;   j) a means for providing or delivering heat to said first thermoacoustic engine;   k) a means for providing or delivering heat to said second thermoacoustic engine;   l) a means for removing heat from said first thermoacoustic engine; and   m) a means for removing heat from said second thermoacoustic engine.   
     
     
         15 . A method of compressing a fluid or gas, comprising:
 a) introducing a fluid or gas through the valved intake port of the thermoacoustic compressor of  claim 1  into the first variable-volume chamber of the first cavity;   b) running the thermoacoustic compressor of  claim 1 ; thereby compressing said fluid or gas.   
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein said compressed fluid or gas is released from said first variable-volume chamber through said valved discharge port. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein said compressed fluid or gas is introduced into a separate mechanical device. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein said mechanical device is a gas turbine. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein heat is provided to said thermoacoustic engine from a separate mechanical device. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 19 , wherein said heat is waste heat generated by said separate mechanical device.