CHARACTERISTICS OF A THERMIONIC CONVERTER WITH A HIGH-TEMPERATURE COLLECTOR

Technical Report · Mon Jan 14 23:00:00 EST 1963

DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/4126479· OSTI ID:4126479

Blue, E; Ingold, J H

Current-voltage characteristics of a cesium-on-tantalum thermionic converter with a collector temperature comparable to that of the emitter were obtained for a variety of electrode temperatures and cesium vapor pressures. The results show that for emitter temperatures in excess of 2000 deg K, power outputs of a few watts per square centimeter can be obtained when the ratio of collector temperature to emitter temperature is as high as 0.75 to 0.80, which is the required range for best performance of a radiation-cooled Carnot engine, and that at temperature ratios above 0.80 the power output is insensitive to changes in electrode spacing for ratios of spacing to electron mean free path greater than 100 at a cesium vapor pressure of 5 torr. (auth)

• Research Organization: General Electric Co. Vallecitos Atomic Lab., Pleasanton, Calif.
• NSA Number: NSA-18-005975
• OSTI ID: 4126479
• Report Number(s): GEST-2011
• Country of Publication: Country unknown/Code not available
• Language: English

Related Subjects

CARNOT ENGINE
CESIUM
CONVERSION
COOLING
CURRENTS
DIFFUSION LENGTH
DISTANCE
EFFICIENCY
ELECTRIC POTENTIAL
ELECTRODES
ELECTRONS
EMISSION
HIGH TEMPERATURE
NESDPS Office of Nuclear Energy Space and Defense Power Systems
PERFORMANCE
PHYSICS
POWER
PRESSURE
RADIATIONS
TANTALUM
THERMIONICS
VAPORS