Development and evaluation of directionally solidified Cermet electrodes for thermionic energy converters

Conference · Mon Aug 01 00:00:00 EDT 1983 · Proc., Intersoc. Energy Convers. Eng. Conf.; (United States)

OSTI ID:5403421

Wolff, L R; Danielson, L R; Gubbels, H M; Huffman, F; Metselaar, R; Saunders, M

At Eindhoven University of Technology, the high temperature materials research group HOTEMA is currently developing a new type of emitter electrode for thermionic energy converters. These Cermet electrodes consist of a refractory metal substrate coated with a directionally solidified metal-ceramic eutectic. In a joint research program, emitter materials produced in Eindhoven are evaluated by Thermo Electron in Waltham. A research diode incorporating a directionally solidified Mo-Al/sub 2/O/sub 3/,Cr/sub 2/O/sub 3/ Cermet emitter was build and tested. This converter exhibited stable performance at emitter temperatures up to 1650K. The barrier index at T /SUB E/ = 1400K was 2.04 eV. Minimum collector work function as measured by the retarding plot method was 1.53 eV. This low work function may be related to oxygen which as post operational Auger analyses showed was present at both emitter and collector. These results suggest that an emitter of this type has potential of providing significantly improved thermionic converter performance.

• Research Organization: Laboratory for Physical Chemistry, Eindhoven University of Technology
• DOE Contract Number: AC02-76ET11292
• OSTI ID: 5403421
• Report Number(s): CONF-830812-; TRN: 84-001394
• Journal Information: Proc., Intersoc. Energy Convers. Eng. Conf.; (United States), Vol. 1; Conference: 18. intersociety energy conversion engineering conference, Orlando, FL, USA, 21 Aug 1983
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

30 DIRECT ENERGY CONVERSION
ELECTRODES
CERMETS
THERMIONIC CONVERTERS
ALUMINIUM OXIDES
AUGER EFFECT
CERAMICS
CHROMIUM OXIDES
COATINGS
EUTECTICS
EV RANGE 01-10
HIGH TEMPERATURE
METALS
MOLYBDENUM
OXYGEN
PERFORMANCE
REFRACTORIES
RESEARCH PROGRAMS
SEMICONDUCTOR DIODES
SOLIDIFICATION
SUBSTRATES
TESTING
THERMIONIC EMITTERS
VERY HIGH TEMPERATURE
ALUMINIUM COMPOUNDS
CHALCOGENIDES
CHROMIUM COMPOUNDS
COMPOSITE MATERIALS
DIRECT ENERGY CONVERTERS
ELEMENTS
ENERGY RANGE
EV RANGE
MATERIALS
NONMETALS
OXIDES
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
PHASE TRANSFORMATIONS
SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES
TRANSITION ELEMENT COMPOUNDS
TRANSITION ELEMENTS
NESDPS Office of Nuclear Energy Space and Defense Power Systems
300403* - Thermionic Converters- Materials
Components
& Auxiliaries