External ionization mechanisms for advanced thermionic converters

Thesis/Dissertation · Thu Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1981

OSTI ID:6166457

Hatziprokopiou, M E

This work investigates ion generation and recombination mechanisms in the cesium plasma as they pertain to the advanced mode thermionic energy converter. The changes in plasma density and temperature within the converter have been studied under the influence of several promising auxiliary ionization candidate sources. Three novel approaches of external cesium ion generation have been investigated in some detail, namely vibrationally excited N/sub 2/ as are energy source of ionization of Cs ions in a dc discharge, microwave power as a means of resonant sustenance of the cesium plasma, and ion generation in a pulse N/sub 2/-Cs mixture. The experimental data obtained and discussed in this work show that all three techniques - i.e. the non-LTE high-voltage pulsing, the energy transfer from vibrationally excited diatomic gases, and the external pumping with a microwave power - have considerable promise as schemes in auxiliary ion generation applicable to the advanced thermionic energy converter.

• OSTI ID: 6166457
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

30 DIRECT ENERGY CONVERSION
300403* -- Thermionic Converters-- Materials
Components
& Auxiliaries
CESIUM IONS
CHARGED PARTICLES
DIRECT ENERGY CONVERTERS
ELECTRIC DISCHARGES
ELECTROMAGNETIC RADIATION
ELEMENTS
ENERGY LEVELS
EXCITED STATES
IONIZATION
IONS
MICROWAVE RADIATION
NESDPS Office of Nuclear Energy Space and Defense Power Systems
NITROGEN
NONMETALS
PLASMA
RADIATIONS
RECOMBINATION
THERMIONIC CONVERTERS
THERMIONIC EMITTERS
VIBRATIONAL STATES