INVESTIGATION OF THE MONOCAPILLARY THERMIONIC EMITTER AS A DUAL SOURCE OF IONS AND ELECTRONS. Quarterly Technical Progress Report No. 4, August 15, 1962-February 15, 1963

Technical Report · Fri Feb 15 04:00:00 EST 1963

OSTI ID:4745569

Dresser, D L; Laurita, W

>Theoretical work is reported on a random current model of the capillary emitter---in this model the ion and electron emission currents are dependent upon the atom density at the capillary exit, and the emitter temperature. A solution of the cesium ilow through a multicapillary converter was obtained in order to estimate the interelectrode pressure. Experimental data on three multicapillary converters are reviewed. It is shown that the experimental data are in good agreement with the random current theory and flow solution. At the higher cesium temperatures the multicapillary converter has a power density comparable to conventional converters because the interelectrode pressure is not negligible. It was concluded that the capillary in its present form is competitive with, but not superior to, the simpler designs of thermionic converters in the emitter temperature range from 1400 to 1800 deg K. A modified form of the capillary as a hollow cathode structure with no flowthrough of cesium may offer advantages in the temperature range from 1800 to 2200 deg K. (auth)

• Research Organization: General Motors Corp. Allison Div., Indianapolis
• NSA Number: NSA-17-016773
• OSTI ID: 4745569
• Report Number(s): EDR-3207
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

ATOMS
CAPILLARIES
CATHODES
CESIUM
CONVERSION
CURRENTS
DENSITY
ELECTRODES
ELECTRONS
EMISSION
GAS FLOW
HIGH TEMPERATURE
ION SOURCES
NESDPS Office of Nuclear Energy Space and Defense Power Systems
PARTICLE SOURCES
PHYSICS
PLANNING
POWER
PRESSURE
TEMPERATURE
THERMIONICS