EXPLORATORY ENERGY CONVERSION STUDY OF PHOTON THERMIONICS

Abstract

Research was continued on a program to determine the feasibility of enhancing the performance of the cesium vapor thermionic converter by photon processes. Two experimental converters designed specifically to keep the absorption path to a minimum were completed. Five radiation sources were tested with the converters. The only radiation source that produced an effect on the converter operation was the xenon flash lamp, be cause probably the radiation intensity of this lamp is an order of magnitude greater than the other sources used. Its effect in the ion rich region is to cause a 20-percent increase in the short-circuit current, while in the electron rich region at least one order of magnitude changes have been observed. However, in the latter region, the current is still spe-charge limited.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
May 01, 1963
Accession Number
AD0407926

Entities

People

  • M. D. Gibbons

Organizations

  • General Electric

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Energy and Power Technologies

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Air Force
  • Arc Lamps
  • Calibration
  • Continuous Spectra
  • Converters
  • Electron Emission
  • Electrons
  • Emission
  • Flash Lamps
  • Guard Rings
  • Jet Propulsion
  • Lamps
  • Measurement
  • Radiation
  • Short Circuits
  • Space Charge
  • United States

Fields of Study

  • Physics

Readers

  • Mathematics or Statistics
  • Molecular Photonics/Laser Physics
  • Plasma Physics.

Technology Areas

  • Microelectronics