Design and cost-benefit analysis of a mini thermo-acoustic refrigerator driver

Abstract

A miniature thermoacoustic refrigerator is being developed for the purpose of cooling integrated circuits below their failure temperature when used in hot environments. This thesis describes the development of an electrically powered acoustic driver that powers the thermoacoustic refrigerator. The driver utilizes a flexural tri-laminar piezoelectric disk to generate one to two Watts of acoustic power at 4 kHz in 15 bar of He-Kr gas mixture. This thesis also provides a cost analysis of the mini TAR and a comparison with other cooling methods in terms of cost and benefits. It estimates the unit cost of a Mini TAR and compares it with other existing microchip coolers in terms of cost and benefits