It really is an interesting idea, and would be wonderful for the third world if they got it to work, there's a few things I'm unclear about tho;
The heated air begins to vibrate and produce sound waves. Inside the pipes, the noise is 100 times louder than a jet taking off. But because the pipes are stiff and do no vibrate, the sound waves have nowhere to go. So outside the pipe, people hear only a faint hum.
I get the concept, basically how a musical instrument works, but surely it would require either open ends to work, or a closed twin system like a stirling as the air passes between the two hot and cold chambers creates the desired frequency, and warmer the country the less efficient it would be, would'nt it ?
The noise comment has got me a bit stumped as well a stiff metal tube will conduct sound better, would'nt it ? not contain it. Perhaps they have figured out a freq and shape that will contain the sound waves, as per a mirrored ruby laser <shrug>
The big stumper for me though is this comment;
For refrigeration, the heated, compressed air is sent through a different part of the pipe, where sound waves cause the air to expand
Eh ?
If you release compressed air suddenly through a narrow orifice the pressure differential will freeze the water right out of the air (try it with a scuba tank)
An air pressure wave, like a thunder storm will produce a sound wave, but I've never heard of the reverse.
gregorach ? you any thoughts on this ?
Really want it to work :bluThinki
Stephen
