Pulsed operation of a thermionic energy converter with N/sub 2/+Cs filling

Journal Article · Sun Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1984 · High Temp. (Engl. Transl.); (United States)

OSTI ID:6002283

Zherebtsov, V A; Lebedev, M A; Sobolev, A A; Cherkovets, V E

Pulsed conditions in a thermionic energy converter (TEC) are examined, in which vibrationally excited nitrogen molecules are used to generate cesium ions during the decay stage in order to increase the duration of it. Kinetic studies are made of the elementary processes in the N/sub 2/+Cs plasma. Conditions are defined under which most of the energy from the nitrogen molecules is used in ionizing cesium atoms, while the duration of the decay stage, which is determined by the relaxation of the vibrational excitation, is substantially increased by comparison with Ar+Cs filling. It is shown that the output characteristics in pulsed mode are similar to those with Ar+Cs at low emitter temperatures (about 1200/sup 0/K) and substantially exceed the characteristics for the arc mode in the TEC. The length of the decay stage with N/sub 2/+Cs filling exceeds that with Ar+Cs by an order of magnitude.

• Research Organization: Moscow
• OSTI ID: 6002283
• Journal Information: High Temp. (Engl. Transl.); (United States), Journal Name: High Temp. (Engl. Transl.); (United States) Vol. 22:1; ISSN HITEA
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

30 DIRECT ENERGY CONVERSION
300402* -- Thermionic Converters-- Performance & Testing
ALKALI METALS
ARGON
CESIUM
DIRECT ENERGY CONVERTERS
ELEMENTS
ENERGY TRANSFER
EQUATIONS
FLUIDS
GASES
IONIZATION
KINETIC EQUATIONS
METALS
NESDPS Office of Nuclear Energy Space and Defense Power Systems
NITROGEN
NONMETALS
OPERATION
PLASMA
PULSES
RARE GASES
THERMIONIC CONVERTERS