Nonperiodicity of the flow within the gap of a thermoacoustic couple at high amplitudes.

The flow inside a thermoacoustic couple is investigated experimentally using particle image velocimetry. Measurements show the oscillation of the shear layers flowing out of a single stack, thus forming an asymmetric vortex street at high driving amplitudes. Development of vortices is also observed within the gap of a thermoacoustic couple. It causes the flow not to repeat from one acoustic period to another. The nonperiodicity of the flow will lead to unsteady heat transfer between the stack and heat exchangers and to the oscillation of the cooling load.