NASA NTRS · 19790067968
Thermionic energy converter investigations
Abstract
This paper presents evaluation of a variety of thermionic converter configurations to obtain improved efficiency. A variable-spacing diode using an iridium emitter gave emission properties comparable to platinum, but the power output from a sintered LaB6 collector diode was not consistent with its work function. Reflectivities above 0.5 were measured at thermal energies on oxygenated-cesiated surfaces using a field emission retarding potential gun. Performance of converters with structured electrodes and the characteristics of a pulsed triode were studied as a function of emitter, collector, cesium reservoir, interelectrode spacing, xenon pressure, and pulsing parameters.
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Goodale, D. B., Lee, C., Lieb, D., Oettinger, P. E.. 1979-01-01. Thermionic energy converter investigations. https://ntrs.nasa.gov/citations/19790067968
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