Patent ID: 8371130

Claim:
A travelling wave thermoacoustic piezoelectric apparatus for generating electrical energy from heat energy, the travelling wave thermoacoustic piezoelectric apparatus comprising: a housing with two ends comprising a compressible fluid, the housing having a first portion and a second portion, wherein the first portion receives the heat energy from a heat source for creating a temperature gradient between the first portion and the second portion; a porous stack configured between the first portion and the second portion within the housing, the second portion comprising a cold heat exchanger positioned near to an end of the porous stack, wherein the two ends of the housing are connected by an inertance component, whereby the compressible fluid traverses between the first portion and the second portion through the porous stack and the inertance component to generate travelling acoustic waves; a resonator having an end connected to the second portion of the housing, wherein the traveling acoustic waves resonates with the resonator to generate acoustic energy within the resonator; and a piezoelectric bimorph configured at an end of the resonator opposite to the end of the resonator connected to the second portion, whereby the acoustic energy triggers an oscillation of the piezoelectric bimorph for generating the electrical energy.