EXPLORATORY ENERGY CONVERSION STUDY OF PHOTON THERMIONICS

Abstract

INVESTIGATION CONCERNS THE USE OF PHOTON PROCESSES FOR THERMIONIC CONVERTERS. The program objective is to determine the feasibility of enhancing the performance of cesium vapor thermionic converters at low temperatures, i.e., 1200 C, through photon processes. These photon processes are expected to increase the power output of a cesium converter by reducing the drop through the converter under load conditions by (1) increasing the conductivity of the positive column, (2) altering the potential distribution in the inter-electrode space, or (3) a combination of such effects. There is, in addition to the effect on full load operation, the use of photons to aid in establishing the discharge by generating enough ion pairs to accomplish gas tube breakdown or arc initiation, in the usual sense. (Author)

Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Nov 01, 1962
Accession Number
AD0289801

Entities

People

  • W.j. Kearns

Organizations

  • General Electric

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Materials and Manufacturing Processes

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Conductivity
  • Conversion
  • Converters
  • Electrodes
  • Energy
  • Energy Conversion
  • Low Temperature
  • Thermionic Converters

Fields of Study

  • Physics

Readers

  • Nuclear and Radiation Engineering.
  • Solar Photovoltaics and Thermoelectric Devices.
  • Theoretical Analysis.

Technology Areas

  • Space
  • Space - Hall-Effect Thruster