Thermodynamic efficiency of thermoacoustic mixture separation.
The acoustic power loss in the thermoacoustic mixture-separation process is derived, including the contributions due to a nonzero gradient in concentration. The significance of the gradient-dependent term is discussed. The limiting thermodynamic efficiency of the separation is calculated. Under reasonable circumstances, the efficiency approaches 10(-2) nHnL(delta m/m(avg))2, where nH and nL are the mole fractions of the two components of the mixture, and delta m/m(avg) is the fractional difference between the molar masses of the two components. This efficiency is of the same order of magnitude as that of some other, more conventional separation methods.
Geller
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Condensed Matter and Thermal Physics Group, Los Alamos National Laboratory, New Mexico 87545, USA.
Swift
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