Sound To Power Space Probes

An anonymous reader writes "The old adage that 'no one can hear you scream in space' seems to have its own variant when Los Alamos scientists announced today their latest designs for the 'traveling wave engine', a derivative of the classic, pistonless Stirling device. Because it uses helium as an oscillating gas in a long tube, the design works kind of like a high-pitched loudspeaker at maximum efficiency. Another description combines a refrigerator and whistle to make an engine."

Comments

"Sound fridge"

[Uplore]

"Another description combines a refrigerator and whistle to make an engine."

Thats interesting, did you also know that is it possible to cool things down by pushing sound waves through low desity matter? In fact they have made a fridge that uses helium gas and a 190 decibel loudspeaker to cool the food. Of course the fridge is completely soundproof so you dont deafen yourself. See it here!