A miniaturized micro-machined thermoacoustic cooler

A thermoacoustic cooler of miniature scale with a micro-machined stack has been numerically modeled and experimentally realized. deltae and Fluent were used to perform the numerical modeling and simulation. The acoustic pressure, velocity, and temperature profiles in the stack and exchangers were simulated. The stack is manufactured using MEMS technology for precise dimension control and flexible geometry design. The MEMS stack as thick as 4.2 mm with high aspect ratio (1/50) thin rib structures, 10 to 15 μm, have been realized. Commercially available PZT drivers were initially used to deliver acoustic power into the resonator at around 4 kHz. A more powerful acoustic driver design using PLZT is under development. The simulation result, device performance, and system integration will be reported. [Work supported by DARPA.]