EXPLORATORY ENERGY CONVERSION STUDY OF PHOTON THERMIONICS

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 i...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Author: KEARNS,W.J
Format: Report
Language:English
Subjects:
CESIUM
GAS DISCHARGES
GAS IONIZATION
PHOTONS
PHOTONUCLEAR REACTIONS
THERMIONIC EMISSION
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Summary: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)