DESIGN OF ELECTRON BOMBARDMENT HEATER FOR SODIUM

Technical Report · Fri Mar 01 04:00:00 EST 1963

OSTI ID:4018277

Duncan, R S; Mohr, R A

>A sodium heater was designed to develop 3 to 16 kw of heat inside a 2 inch length of 1/4-inch O.D. x 5/32-inch I.D. molybdenum tube. The heater is essentially a vacuum tube with an indirectly heated cathode. The thermionic emission current from the cathode is accelerated to the anode by a large accelerating potential. The energy given up by the electrons as they arrive at the anode appears as heat in the anode. The design suggested in the feasibility study consisted of a directly heated V'' shaped filament used as the electron emitter. From a mechanical design viewpoint, this configuration would be difficult to support and/ or replace. The design arrived at uttlizes a tubular- shaped thoriated tungsten cathode heated indirectly by a molybdenum filament within the tube. This configuration appears to offer a substantial structural advantage. The calculations show that 16 kw can be produced by a diode of the given dimensions. They also show that the temperatures, current values, and voltage values are within a reasonable operating range for the proposed materials. (auth)

• Research Organization: Atomics International. Div. of North American Aviation, Inc., Canoga Park, Calif.
• DOE Contract Number: AT(11-1)-GEN-8
• NSA Number: NSA-18-020132
• OSTI ID: 4018277
• Report Number(s): NAA-SR-Memo-8289
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

ACCELERATORS
ANODES
CATHODES
COATING
CONFIGURATION
CURRENTS
DIODES
ELECTRIC POTENTIAL
ELECTRON BEAMS
EMISSION
ENGINEERING
HEATING
MOLYBDENUM
OPERATION
PLANNING
POWER
SODIUM
THERMIONICS
THORIUM OXIDES
TUBES
TUNGSTEN
VACUUM