Clemson University TigerPrints All Theses Theses 12-2018 Design and Analysis of a Single Stage, Traveling Wave, Thermoacoustic Engine for Bi-Directional Turbine Generator Integration Mitchell McGaughy Clemson University Follow this and additional works at: https://tigerprints.clemson.edu/all_theses Part of the Mechanical Engineering Commons Recommended Citation McGaughy, Mitchell, "Design and Analysis of a Single Stage, Traveling Wave, Thermoacoustic Engine for Bi-Directional Turbine Generator Integration" (2018). All Theses. 2962. https://tigerprints.clemson.edu/all_theses/2962 This Thesis is brought to you for free and open access by the Theses at TigerPrints. It has been accepted for inclusion in All Theses by an authorized administrator of TigerPrints. For more information, please contact
[email protected]. DESIGN AND ANALYSIS OF A SINGLE STAGE, TRAVELING WAVE, THERMOACOUSTIC ENGINE FOR BI-DIRECTIONAL TURBINE GENERATOR INTEGRATION A Thesis Presented to the Graduate School of Clemson University In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree Master of Science Mechanical Engineering by Mitchell McGaughy December 2018 Accepted by: Dr. John R. Wagner, Committee Co-Chair Dr. Thomas Salem, Committee Co-Chair Dr. Todd Schweisinger, Committee Member ABSTRACT The demand for clean, sustainable, and cost-effective energy continues to increase due to global population growth and corresponding use of consumer products. Thermoacoustic technology potentially offers a sustainable and reliable solution to help address the continuing demand for electric power. A thermoacoustic device, operating on the principle of standing or traveling acoustic waves, can be designed as a heat pump or a prime mover system. The provision of heat to a thermoacoustic prime mover results in the generation of an acoustic wave that can be converted into electrical power.