Microscreen radiation shield for thermoelectric generator

Hunt, Thomas K; Novak, Robert F; McBride, James R

Title: Microscreen radiation shield for thermoelectric generator

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Abstract

The present invention provides a microscreen radiation shield which reduces radiative heat losses in thermoelectric generators such as sodium heat engines without reducing the efficiency of operation of such devices. The radiation shield is adapted to be interposed between a reaction zone and a means for condensing an alkali metal vapor in a thermoelectric generator for converting heat energy directly to electrical energy. The radiation shield acts to reflect infrared radiation emanating from the reaction zone back toward the reaction zone while permitting the passage of the alkali metal vapor to the condensing means. The radiation shield includes a woven wire mesh screen or a metal foil having a plurality of orifices formed therein. The orifices in the foil and the spacing between the wires in the mesh is such that radiant heat is reflected back toward the reaction zone in the interior of the generator, while the much smaller diameter alkali metal atoms such as sodium pass directly through the orifices or along the metal surfaces of the shield and through the orifices with little or no impedance.

Inventors:

Hunt, Thomas K ^[1]; Novak, Robert F ^[2]; McBride, James R ^[3]

Ann Arbor, MI
Farmington Hills, MI
Ypsilanti, MI

Issue Date:: 1990-01-01

Research Org.:: Ford Motor Company, Detroit, MI (United States)

OSTI Identifier:: 867491

Patent Number(s):: 4948679

Assignee:: Ford Motor Company (Dearborn, MI)

Patent Classifications (CPCs):: H - ELECTRICITY H01 - BASIC ELECTRIC ELEMENTS H01G - CAPACITORS

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H - ELECTRICITY H01 - BASIC ELECTRIC ELEMENTS H01G - CAPACITORS
H01G9/21 - Temperature-sensitive devices

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DOE Contract Number:: AC02-83CE40651

Resource Type:: Patent

Country of Publication:: United States

Language:: English

Subject:: microscreen; radiation; shield; thermoelectric; generator; provides; reduces; radiative; heat; losses; generators; sodium; engines; reducing; efficiency; operation; devices; adapted; interposed; reaction; zone; means; condensing; alkali; metal; vapor; converting; energy; directly; electrical; reflect; infrared; emanating; permitting; passage; woven; wire; mesh; screen; foil; plurality; orifices; formed; therein; spacing; wires; radiant; reflected; interior; diameter; atoms; pass; surfaces; impedance; radiative heat; mesh screen; heat engines; metal atom; electric generator; heat loss; formed therein; radiation shield; metal surface; heat engine; heat energy; metal surfaces; metal vapor; electrical energy; alkali metal; reaction zone; infrared radiation; wire mesh; metal foil; thermoelectric generator; metal atoms; radiation emanating; thermoelectric generators; reflect infrared; radiant heat; sodium heat; converting heat; woven wire; heat losses; microscreen radiation; energy directly; /429/

Citation Formats


                    Hunt, Thomas K, Novak, Robert F, and McBride, James R. Microscreen radiation shield for thermoelectric generator.  United States: N. p., 1990. 
        Web.

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                    Hunt, Thomas K, Novak, Robert F, & McBride, James R. Microscreen radiation shield for thermoelectric generator.  United States.

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                    Hunt, Thomas K, Novak, Robert F, and McBride, James R. Mon .  
        "Microscreen radiation shield for thermoelectric generator".  United States.  https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/867491.

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@article{osti_867491,

  title        = {Microscreen radiation shield for thermoelectric generator},

  author       = {Hunt, Thomas K and Novak, Robert F and McBride, James R},

  abstractNote = {The present invention provides a microscreen radiation shield which reduces radiative heat losses in thermoelectric generators such as sodium heat engines without reducing the efficiency of operation of such devices. The radiation shield is adapted to be interposed between a reaction zone and a means for condensing an alkali metal vapor in a thermoelectric generator for converting heat energy directly to electrical energy. The radiation shield acts to reflect infrared radiation emanating from the reaction zone back toward the reaction zone while permitting the passage of the alkali metal vapor to the condensing means. The radiation shield includes a woven wire mesh screen or a metal foil having a plurality of orifices formed therein. The orifices in the foil and the spacing between the wires in the mesh is such that radiant heat is reflected back toward the reaction zone in the interior of the generator, while the much smaller diameter alkali metal atoms such as sodium pass directly through the orifices or along the metal surfaces of the shield and through the orifices with little or no impedance.},

  doi          = {},

  journal      = {},
number       = ,

  volume       = ,

  place        = {United States},

  year         = {1990},

  month        = {1}

}

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