START-3: Operational evaluations of the ISUS engine ground demonstration thermionic power system
START-3 was a test program conducted in order to demonstrate and characterize the operational performance of the prototype Integrated Solar Upper Stage (ISUS) thermionic power system. The test device consisted of a graphite thermal storage unit, multilayer foil insulation, and sixteen thermionic converters electrically connected in a series array. Several thermal input conditions were achieved during the test, which resulted in measuring converter performance at average converter hot shoe temperatures in the range of 1600 K to 2000 K. Results indicate that the thermionic converters did not perform as well as expected in the array configuration. Follow-on testing of the individual sixteen converters is currently being performed. {copyright} {ital 1999 American Institute of Physics.}
- Research Organization:
- Sandia National Laboratory
- DOE Contract Number:
- AC04-94AL85000
- OSTI ID:
- 700889
- Report Number(s):
- CONF-990103--
- Journal Information:
- AIP Conference Proceedings, Journal Name: AIP Conference Proceedings Journal Issue: 1 Vol. 458; ISSN 0094-243X; ISSN APCPCS
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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