High efficiency thermionic converter studies. Technical report, 1 July 1976--30 April 1977

Technical Report · Fri Jul 01 00:00:00 EDT 1977

OSTI ID:7098861

Huffman, F N; Sommer, A H; Balestra, C L; Briere, T R; Lieb, D P

Research in thermionic energy conversion technology is reported. The objectives were to produce converters suitable for use in out of core space reactors, radioisotope generators, and solar satellites. The development of emitter electrodes that operate at low cesium pressure, stable low work function collector electrodes, and more efficient means of space charge neutralization were investigated to improve thermionic converter performance. Potential improvements in collector properties were noted with evaporated thin film barium oxide coatings. Experiments with cesium carbonate suggest this substance may provide optimum combinations of cesium and oxygen for thermionic conversion.

• Research Organization: Utah State Univ., Logan (USA)
• DOE Contract Number: NAS3-20302
• OSTI ID: 7098861
• Report Number(s): N-77-32592; NASA-CR-135263; TE-4233-152-77
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

30 DIRECT ENERGY CONVERSION
14 SOLAR ENERGY
RADIOISOTOPE GENERATORS
THERMIONIC CONVERTERS
SPACE POWER REACTORS
SPACECRAFT POWER SUPPLIES
BARIUM OXIDES
CESIUM
COATINGS
ELECTRODES
OXYGEN
PERFORMANCE
RADIOISOTOPE HEAT SOURCES
RESEARCH PROGRAMS
SOLAR ENERGY CONVERSION
ALKALI METALS
ALKALINE EARTH METAL COMPOUNDS
BARIUM COMPOUNDS
CHALCOGENIDES
CONVERSION
CRYOGENIC FLUIDS
DIRECT ENERGY CONVERTERS
ELECTRONIC EQUIPMENT
ELEMENTS
ENERGY CONVERSION
FLUIDS
HEAT SOURCES
METALS
MOBILE REACTORS
NONMETALS
OXIDES
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
POWER REACTORS
POWER SUPPLIES
REACTORS
NESDPS Office of Nuclear Energy Space and Defense Power Systems
300402* - Thermionic Converters- Performance & Testing
140502 - Solar Energy Conversion- Thermonic & Thermoelectric conversion