Feasibility of a high-powered carbon nanotube thin-film loudspeaker

J Acoust Soc Am. 2013 Sep;134(3):EL276-81. doi: 10.1121/1.4817261.

Abstract

The thermophone, conceived in 1917 by Arnold and Crandall, was a unique thermoacoustic loudspeaker. The high heat capacity per unit area (HCPUA) of thin-film materials at that time limited the usefulness of thermophones. Recently, researchers of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) have developed techniques to create a super-aligned thin-film of multi-walled CNTs, possessing extremely low HCPUA. This paper will discuss CNT thin-film loudspeaker theory as well as some initial investigations into the feasibility of a high-powered audio CNT speaker. The advantages of such a loudspeaker include: Ultra-lightweight, compact, no moving parts, low cost, and independence from expensive rare-earth materials.

MeSH terms

  • Acoustics / instrumentation*
  • Amplifiers, Electronic*
  • Equipment Design
  • Feasibility Studies
  • Models, Theoretical
  • Motion
  • Nanotubes, Carbon*
  • Pressure
  • Sound*
  • Temperature
  • Thermal Conductivity
  • Transducers*

Substances

  • Nanotubes, Carbon