Experimental study of the ignited mode in cesium thermionic converters

Journal Article · Wed May 01 04:00:00 EDT 1963 · Transactions of the American Institute of Electrical Engineers, Part 1: Communication and Electronics

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1109/TCE.1963.6373386· OSTI ID:4140739

Kitrilakis, S.; Carabateas, E. N.

A variable spacing cesium thermionic converter of planar geometry was tested under different conditions of emitter temperature, cesium pressure, and interelectrode spacing. It was found that at low emitter temperatures of the order of 1,300 to 1,400 deg C, high-power densities in the range of 2 to 4 watts/ cm² can be obtained with a molybdenum emitter. The performance under these conditions corresponds to an ignited mode where ions are introduced by a different mechanism than surface ionization. (auth)

• Research Organization: Thermon Electron Engineering Corp., Waltham, Mass.
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE
• NSA Number: NSA-18-002577
• OSTI ID: 4140739
• Journal Information: Transactions of the American Institute of Electrical Engineers, Part 1: Communication and Electronics, Journal Name: Transactions of the American Institute of Electrical Engineers, Part 1: Communication and Electronics Journal Issue: 2 Vol. 82; ISSN 0097-2452
• Country of Publication: Country unknown/Code not available
• Language: English

Related Subjects

CESIUM
CONVERSION
ELECTRODES
IONS
MOLYBDENUM
NESDPS Office of Nuclear Energy Space and Defense Power Systems
PHYSICS
PRESSURE
TEMPERATURE
THERMIONICS