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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."
Now we just have to find a stash of thousands of old Barry Manilow CDs to use as the sound! No one will miss them anyway when they all float up and away into space...
If sound doesn't travel in a vacuum, why are vacuum cleaners so loud?
"Eve of Destruction", it's not just for old hippies anymore...
I find the headline a bit misleading; this isn't a power source, it's a way to convert the source's output (heat) into electrical power. You will still need a power supply. (Probably an RTG.) You'll just get more electrical power by using this system.
Mumble, grumble... Dang whippersnappers with their video-game attention spans can't even remember movie posters...
My son's 5th grade teacher actually assigned them "write a limerick about a planet". I'm not kidding.
Be careful! Los Alamos knows the weirding way!
What's new is that it is now better than an internal combustion engine. That means that very soon manufacturers will stop using ICEs, and start using these modified Stirling engines. The only uncertainty after reading all this is power provided per kilogram of engine. That didn't seem to be a problem, however they did not provide data for that. Cheaper to manufacture, cheaper to operate, environmentally sound - WOW!
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The only newsy thing about this is the interest from makers of space probes; the thermoacoustic engine has been around for a while (combine with a thermoacoustic chiller and you've got a gas-liquefaction system with no moving parts; here's another one from 1999) and the page from LANL on thermoacoustic systems is almost two years old already. These guys were plugging their sound-to-electricity converter some time ago.
Sustainability and energy independence essay
"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!
I couldn't think of a sig.
...In addition to achievements in low energy physics, the ability to fly a jet, and a strong stomach, applicants are expected to have some renowned as operatic singers in case of power failures...
Sola Deo Gloria!