A thermionic topping cycle for advanced gas turbines
Thermionic energy converters (TICs) operate at high temperatures (1300--2300 K) and appear to be attractive for topping cycle (TC) applications of terrestrial fossil power plants where such high temperatures exist in combustion chambers. Thermionic TCs had been considered earlier for various types of gas and steam turbine power plants and cogeneration plants. The idea of the thermionic TC is follows: hot gases in the combustion chamber heat the TIC emitters (typically up to approximately 1600--2000 K), and collectors are cooled (approximately 900--1000 K) with air which is returned into the combustion chamber. Work performed in the early 80's under the DOE thermionic technology program had demonstrated that the use of thermionic TC on a GT might increase the overall efficiency and power output by several percentage points with an incremental efficiency of 70--88 %. In this paper the feasibility of increasing conversion efficiency of advanced GT plants (particularly Westinghouse 501ATS) using state-of-the-art and advanced thermionic technology is assessed. Four TIC types were considered in application to the GT TC. They include: conventional Cs ignited mode TIC; TIC with oxygenated electrodes; high temperature Cs-Ba TIC operating in Knudsen mode, and microgap TIC. The Westinghouse 501ATS was used as the basis for the TC analysis.
- Research Organization:
- Westinghouse Science and Technology Center, Pittsburgh, PA (US)
- OSTI ID:
- 20000169
- Resource Relation:
- Conference: 33rd Intersociety Energy Conversion Engineering Conference, Colorado Springs, CO (US), 08/02/1998--08/06/1998; Other Information: 1 CD-ROM. Operating system required: Windows 3.x; Windows 95/NT; Macintosh; UNIX. All systems need 2X CD-ROM drive., PBD: 1998; Related Information: In: Proceedings of the 33. intersociety energy conversion engineering conference, by Anghaie, S. [ed.], [2800] pages.
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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