Thermo acoustic - MHD electrical Generator

The thermo-acoustic generators offer a unique means of converting thermal energy into mechanical energy without any moving parts and without fluid circulation. They are comparable to the Stirling engine with the advantage of much greater simplicity. They are therefore natural candidates for special uses where interventions are limited. The problem to solve is transforming the mechanical energy into electrical energy. MHD generators offer excellent opportunities in this area, particularly by using the mechanisms of induction. The work concerns the combination of a thermo-acoustic generator with an induction generator of a new concept for obtaining electric current with adjustable voltage and current strength, delivered at the thermo-acoustic wave frequency. The system has been subjected to numerical simulation. However, an experimental program is being studied in collaboration with industrial and academic partners. The exploitation of the process by using a solar collector (parabolic or cylindrically-parabolic) is envisaged with the aim to produce electricity, for example, in isolate villages