DOE Advanced Thermionic Technology Program. Progress report No. 48, July, August, September 1981

Technical Report · Thu Jan 01 00:00:00 EST 1981

DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/5614537· OSTI ID:5614537

The advanced Thermionic Technology Program at Thermo Electron Corporation is sponsored by the Department of Energy (DOE). The primary long-term goal is to improve thermionic performance to the level that thermionic topping of fossil-fuel powerplants becomes technically possible and economically attractive. An intermediate goal is to operate a thermionic module in a powerplant during the mid-1980's. A short-term goal is to demonstrate reliable thermionic operation in a combustion environment. Progress made during the three-month period from July through September 1981 is reported. Significant accomplishments include: (1) continuing stable output from the combustion test of the one-inch diameter hemispherical silicon carbide diode (Converter No. 239) at an emitter temperature of 1730/sup 0/K for a period of over 9800 hours; (2) measurement of a barrier index of 2.15 eV during the initial testing of Converter No. 266 (two-inch diameter torispherical silicon carbide diode); and (3) successful thermal cycle test of a CVD silicon carbide coating inside a sintered molybdenum tube.

• Research Organization: Thermo Electron Corp., Waltham, MA (USA)
• DOE Contract Number: AC02-76ET11292
• OSTI ID: 5614537
• Report Number(s): TE-4258-158-82; COO-3056-48; ON: DE82010482
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

30 DIRECT ENERGY CONVERSION
THERMIONIC CONVERTERS
DESIGN
PERFORMANCE TESTING
CERMETS
COMBINED-CYCLE POWER PLANTS
COMBUSTORS
CURRENT DENSITY
FOSSIL-FUEL POWER PLANTS
MATERIALS
MOLYBDENUM
SILICON CARBIDES
THERMIONIC COLLECTORS
THERMIONIC EMITTERS
TOPPING CYCLES
TUNGSTEN
WORK FUNCTIONS
ZIRCONIUM OXIDES
CARBIDES
CARBON COMPOUNDS
CHALCOGENIDES
COMPOSITE MATERIALS
DIRECT ENERGY CONVERTERS
ELEMENTS
FUNCTIONS
METALS
OXIDES
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
POWER PLANTS
REFRACTORY METALS
SILICON COMPOUNDS
TESTING
THERMAL POWER PLANTS
TRANSITION ELEMENT COMPOUNDS
TRANSITION ELEMENTS
ZIRCONIUM COMPOUNDS
NESDPS Office of Nuclear Energy Space and Defense Power Systems
300401* - Thermionic Converters- Design & Development
300402 - Thermionic Converters- Performance & Testing
300403 - Thermionic Converters- Materials
Components
& Auxiliaries