title: Working gases in thermoacoustic engines.
abstract: The best working gases for thermoacoustic refrigeration have high ratios of specific heats and low Prandtl numbers. These properties can be optimized by the use of a mixture of light and heavy noble gases. In this paper it is shown that light noble gas-heavy polyatomic gas mixtures can result in useful working gases. In addition, it is demonstrated that the onset temperature of a heat driven prime mover can be minimized with a gas with large Prandtl number and small ratio of specific heats. The gas properties must be optimized for the particular application of thermoacoustics; it cannot be assumed that high specific heat ratio and low Prandtl number are always desirable.
authors.affiliation: Jackson State Community College, Tennessee 38301, USA.
authors.forename: J R
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Belcher
authors.forename: W V
authors.initials: WV
authors.lastname: Slaton
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Raspet
authors.forename: H E
authors.initials: HE
authors.lastname: Bass
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Lightfoot
mesh_terms: D000162:Acoustics; D004738:Engineering; D005740:Gases; D008962:Models, Theoretical; D013814:Thermal Conductivity
chemical_list: D005740:Gases