Optimal design study of thermoacoustic regenerator with lexicographic optimization method

Abstract

Purpose – This paper aims to illustrate the use of the augmented epsilon-constraint method implemented in general algebraic modelling system (GAMS), aimed at optimizing the geometry of a thermoacoustic regenerator. Thermoacoustic heat engines provide a practical solution to the problem of heat management where heat can be pumped or spot cooling can be produced. However, the most inhibiting characteristic of thermoacoustic cooling is their current lack of efficiencies. Design/methodology/approach – Lexicographic optimization is presented as an alternative optimization technique to the common used weighting methods. This approach establishes a hierarchical order among all the optimization objectives instead of giving them a specific (and most of the time, arbitrary) weight. Findings – A practical example is given, in a hypothetical scenario, showing how the proposed optimization technique may help thermoacoustic regenerator designers to identify Pareto optimal solutions when dealing with geometric parameters. This study highlights the fact that the geometrical parameters are interdependent, which support the use of a multi-objective approach for optimization in thermoacoustic. Originality/value – The research output from this paper can be a valuable resource to support designers in building efficient thermoacoustic device. The research illustrates the use of a lexicographic optimization to provide more meaningful results describing the geometry of thermoacoustic regenerator. It applies the epsilon-constraint method (AUGMENCON) to solve a five-criteria mixed integer non-linear problem implemented in GAMS (GAM software).