Enhancing the performance of a self-oscillating fluidic heat engine (SOFHE) through thermodynamic cycle and phase change characterization

Self‑oscillating fluidic heat engines (SOFHEs) are a promising way to harvest low‑grade heat, especially for low‑power wireless sensors in Internet of Things (IoT) applications. The engine works with a vapor bubble trapped by a liquid plug that acts like a piston inside a narrow tube. Oscillations are driven by repeated evaporation and condensation of a thin liquid film kept wet by a wicking fiber. This research helps characterize the thermodynamic cycle (P‑V diagram) and the phase‑change behavior of the SOFHE under different mechanical loads. An experimental and analytical framework is set up to measure mechanical power density and thermodynamic efficiency. The guide also shows how to model transient heat transfer,

the fluid motion of the liquid plug, and the phase‑change kinetics at the liquid‑vapor interface. The data provide a baseline for matching the fluidic engine’s impedance to electromechanical transducers, which lets us maximize net electrical power. This project supports systematic study of phase‑change heat transfer and pressure‑volume curves to improve overall thermal‑to‑mechanical conversion efficiency.

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