INTRODUCTION

Refrigerators have become necessities in modern society. Most conventional refrigerators operate using a vapor compression cycle, a process which involves interaction between vapor and a refrigerant. While this method of chemical refrigeration is extremely efficient, the refrigerants used [once cholorofluorocarbons (CFCs), now hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs)] are ozonedepleting chemicals, which is a major cause of concern.Fortunately, an alternative method of refrigeration, thermoacoustic refrigeration, has been developed. Unlike conventional refrigerators, thermoacoustic refrigerators do not use environmentally-unfriendly refrigerants to fuel the system. Instead, they rely on the power of sound, by using sound waves to generate the work necessary to compress gases. The most inhibiting characteristic of thermoacoustic cooling, however, is its current lack of efficiency.