Use of Selective Laser Melting for Manufacturing the Porous Stack of a Thermoacoustic Engine

In this study the authors investigate the possibility of using Selective Laser Melting (SLM) to manufacture the porous element (stack) of a thermoacoustic engine. Two stacks, provided with different internal geometries but with the same hydraulic radii, have been produced: one with parallel plates and one with a new, oblique pin array configuration. The pin array stacks provide smaller amount of viscous losses during the thermal to acoustic power conversion when working fluids with Pr < 1, e.g. air. Furthermore, the oblique configuration is designed to reduce the heat transmission from the hot to the cold surface of the stack, thus to achieve more easily the temperature gradient for the onset of the thermoacoustic phenomenon. In general, the pin array configurations are difficult to manufacture with conventional technologies. However, the SLM provides precise control of the features of the printed object, thus allowing to objectively compare the behavior of the two stacks. To this aim, the temperature gradient between the hot and cold faces of the stacks and the corresponding sound pressure levels measured at 15 cm from the open end of the engine are measured and compared.