DOE/JPL advanced thermionic technology program. Progress report No. 44, July, August, September 1980

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

DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/6874563· OSTI ID:6874563

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 missions. These missions require operation at collector temperatures that are substantially higher than those associated with terrestrial applications. The DOE and JPL tasks for developing thermionic energy conversion are complementary and synergistic. Converter performance improvement is an area in which one agency's program supports the effort of the other. Significant accomplishments in this reporting period are described.

• Research Organization: Thermo Electron Corp., Waltham, MA (USA)
• DOE Contract Number: AC02-76ER11291
• OSTI ID: 6874563
• Report Number(s): TE-4258/4247-72-81
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

30 DIRECT ENERGY CONVERSION
300401* -- Thermionic Converters-- Design & Development
COMBINED-CYCLE POWER PLANTS
DIODE TUBES
DIRECT ENERGY CONVERTERS
ELECTRICAL PROPERTIES
ELECTRON TUBES
FOSSIL-FUEL POWER PLANTS
FUNCTIONS
ION PROPULSION
MOBILE REACTORS
NESDPS Office of Nuclear Energy Space and Defense Power Systems
PERFORMANCE TESTING
PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
POWER PLANTS
POWER REACTORS
PROPULSION
PROPULSION REACTORS
REACTORS
RESEARCH PROGRAMS
SPACE POWER REACTORS
SPACE PROPULSION REACTORS
TESTING
THERMAL CYCLING
THERMAL POWER PLANTS
THERMIONIC COLLECTORS
THERMIONIC CONVERTERS
THERMIONIC DIODES
THERMIONIC EMITTERS
THERMIONIC TUBES
TOPPING CYCLES
WORK FUNCTIONS