Control of self-excitation mode in thermoacoustic system using heat phase adjuster

The capability of a heat phase adjuster (HPA) to control the resonance mode in a loop-tube-type thermoacoustic system by locally heating the outside is experimentally investigated. It is shown that the HPA enables the resonance mode of the tube to shift to lower modes with higher thermoacoustic conversion efficiency, thus significantly enhancing the energy conversion efficiency. The transition of the resonance mode due to the stepwise change in the input electric power to the HPA is also investigated. As a result, it is demonstrated that the resonance mode changes with the temperature and a threshold exists for the HPA temperature at which the transition is induced. These results suggest the possibility of externally controlling a loop-tube-type thermoacoustic system. (C) 2016 The Japan Society of Applied Physics