DOE/JPL Advanced Thermionic Technology Program. Progress report No. 45, October-November-December 1980

Technical Report · Mon Dec 31 23:00:00 EST 1979

DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/6241606· OSTI ID:6241606

The primary long-term goal of the DOE effort is to improve TEC performance to the level that thermionic topping of fossil fuel powerplants becomes technically possible and economically attractive. An intermediate goal is to demonstrate an in-boiler thermionic module in the early 1980's. A short-term goal is the demonstration of the reliability of thermionic operation in a combustion environment. The focus of the JPL program is to develop thermionic conversion technology appropriate for nuclear electric propulsion (NEP) missions. Accomplishments in the DOE program include: (1) continuing stable output from the combustion life test of the one-inch diameter hemispherical silicon carbide diode (Converter No. 239) at an emitter temperature of 1730/sup 0/K for a period of over 4200 hours; (2) construction of four diode module completed; (3) favorable results obtained from TAM combustor-gas turbine system analyses; and (4) obtained a FERP work function of 2.3 eV with the W(100)-O-Zr-C electrode. JPL program accomplishments include: the average minimum barrier index of the last six research diodes built with sublimed molybdenum oxide collectors was 2.0 eV. (WHK)

• Research Organization: Thermo Electron Corp., Waltham, MA (USA)
• DOE Contract Number: AC02-76ET11292
• OSTI ID: 6241606
• Report Number(s): DOE/ET/11292-T5; COO-3056-62
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

30 DIRECT ENERGY CONVERSION
300401* -- Thermionic Converters-- Design & Development
300402 -- Thermionic Converters-- Performance & Testing
300403 -- Thermionic Converters-- Materials
Components
& Auxiliaries
CARBIDES
CARBON COMPOUNDS
CARBON MONOXIDE
CARBON OXIDES
CHALCOGENIDES
CURRENTS
DIRECT ENERGY CONVERTERS
ELECTRIC CURRENTS
ELECTRIC POTENTIAL
ELEMENTS
FUNCTIONS
MATERIALS TESTING
METALS
MOLYBDENUM COMPOUNDS
MOLYBDENUM OXIDES
NESDPS Office of Nuclear Energy Space and Defense Power Systems
NICKEL
OXIDES
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
PERFORMANCE
PERFORMANCE TESTING
REFRACTORY METALS
RESEARCH PROGRAMS
SILICON CARBIDES
SILICON COMPOUNDS
TESTING
THERMIONIC COLLECTORS
THERMIONIC CONVERTERS
THERMIONIC EMITTERS
TRANSITION ELEMENT COMPOUNDS
TRANSITION ELEMENTS
TUNGSTEN
WORK FUNCTIONS
ZIRCONIUM