PERFORMANCE CHARACTERISTICS AND EMISSION COOLING MEASUREMENTS TAKEN ON A Cs VAPOR THERMIONIC CONVERTER WITH A THORIUM-TUNGSTEN EMITTER
Abstract
Measurements were made on a cylindrical, in directly heated Cs-vapor thermionic converter having a stainless steel collector spaced 1 mm from a 13.3 sq cm Th-W emitter. At an emitter temperature of 2100 K a power output of 4.4 w/sq cm (at 1.3 v) at a measured over-all efficiency of 8.5% was observed. At 2200 K, a power output of 8.8 w/sq cm at 11.9% efficiency was observed. Measurements of the cooling of the emitter due to electron emission indicate that in the retarding range of the converter the emission cooling is just what simple theory would predict, the plasma electron temperature being equal to that of the emitter. For collector to-emitter voltages more positive than approxi mately -1.3 v, the emission cooling fell far below that predicted by simple electron emission from the emitter, indicating that a large amount of power (as much as 20 w/sq cm at positive col lector voltages) was flowing from the plasma back to the emitter. This anomaly in the emission cooling is interpreted in terms of resonance dradiation, excited atoms, and ions returning to the emitter. These originate in a region of high electron temperature adjacent to the emitter.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- May 01, 1963
- Accession Number
- AD0406131
Entities
People
- J. M. Houston
Organizations
- General Electric