THE EFFECT OF SIMULATED FISSION PRODUCTS IN THE INTER-ELECTRODE SPACING OF A THERMIONIC DIODE.
Abstract
The nuclear heating of in-core thermionic diodes to directly convert heat to electricity allows a compact, high-powered, long-lived system design. There are, however, some unanswered problems, one of which is the effect of admitting fission products into the interelectrode spaces of the system. This could happen in the case of a cladding rupture or by the impurities diffusing through the fuel from the hotter center to the surface of the fueled emitter. The effects of the fission products on the diode operation are considered. The materials representing fission products are individually introduced into the operating diode and the results compared to the theoretically determined model. The research has covered the effects of the noble gases argon, xenon, and krypton and of iodine on the operation of a planar thermionic diode. The effects of high temperature on the insulating properties of ceramic materials have been examined to delineate the problems of electrical breakdown that may occur in high powered thermionic reactor systems and to define safe areas of system temperature and voltages.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Dec 17, 1965
- Accession Number
- AD0625586
Entities
People
- C. E. Backus
- D. M. Turner
- E. J. Britt
- Monte V. Davis
Organizations
- University of Arizona