The advanced thermionics initiative. program update

Conference · Wed Jan 20 00:00:00 EST 1993 · AIP Conference Proceedings (American Institute of Physics); (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1063/1.43132· OSTI ID:5460313

Lamp, T R; Donovan, B D ^[1]

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1. Aerospace Power Division, Wright Laboratory, Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio 45433 (United States)

The United States Air Force has had a long standing interest in thermionic space power dating back to the early 1960s when a heat pipe cooled thermionic converter was demonstrated through work at the predecessor to Wright Laboratory (WL). With the exception of the short hiatus in the mid-70s, Air Force thermionics work at Wright Laboratory has continued to the present time with thermionic technology programs including the burst power thermionic phase change concepts, heat pipe cooled planar diodes, and advanced in-core concept developments such as composite materials, insulators and oxygenation. The Advanced Thermionics Initiative (ATI) program was organized to integrate thermionic technology advances into a converter suitable for in-core reactor applications in the 10 to 40 kWe power range. As an advanced thermionics technology program, the charter and philosophy of the ATI program is to provide the needed advanced converter concepts in support of national thermionic space power programs.

• OSTI ID: 5460313
• Report Number(s): CONF-930103-; CODEN: APCPCS
• Journal Information: AIP Conference Proceedings (American Institute of Physics); (United States), Vol. 271:3; Conference: 10. symposium on space nuclear power and propulsion, Albuquerque, NM (United States), 10-14 Jan 1993; ISSN 0094-243X
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

21 SPECIFIC NUCLEAR REACTORS AND ASSOCIATED PLANTS
30 DIRECT ENERGY CONVERSION
THERMIONIC CONVERSION
TECHNOLOGY ASSESSMENT
DESIGN
FABRICATION
SPACE POWER REACTORS
TESTING
THERMIONIC FUEL ELEMENTS
THERMIONIC REACTORS
TOPAZ REACTOR
CONVERSION
DIRECT ENERGY CONVERSION
ENERGY CONVERSION
EXPERIMENTAL REACTORS
FUEL ELEMENTS
HYDRIDE MODERATED REACTORS
MOBILE REACTORS
POWER REACTORS
REACTOR COMPONENTS
REACTORS
RESEARCH AND TEST REACTORS
NESDPS Office of Nuclear Energy Space and Defense Power Systems
210600* - Power Reactors
Auxiliary
Mobile Package
& Transportable
300400 - Thermionic Converters