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

Technical Report · Tue Jan 01 00:00:00 EST 1980

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