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Search indexed NASA NTRS and DOE OSTI research on propulsion, heat transfer, battery materials and energy systems. Follow report and document links to the original sources.

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At least 181 records · Page 10
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2016

Back-gated graphene anode for more efficient thermionic energy converters

Thermionic energy converters (TECs) are a direct heat-to-electricity conversion technology with great potential for high efficiency and scalability. However, space charge barrier in the inter-electrode gap and high anode work function are major obstacles toward realizing high efficiency. Here, we demonstrate for the first time a prototype TEC using a back-gated graphene anode, a barium dispenser cathode, and a controllable inter-electrode gap as small as 17 µm, which simultaneously addresses these two obstacles. This leads to an electronic conversion efficiency of 9.8% at cathode temperature of 1000 °C, the highest reported by far. We first demonstrate that electrostatic gating of graphene by a 20 nm HfO 2 dielectric layer changes the graphene anode work function by 0.63 eV, as observed from the current-voltage characteristics of the TEC. Next, we show that the efficiency increases by a factor of 30.6 by reducing the gap from 1 mm down to 17 µm, after a mono-layer of Ba is deposited on graphene by the dispenser cathode. Lastlu, we show that electrostatic gating of graphene further reduces the graphene work function from 1.85 to 1.69 eV, leading to an additional 67% enhancement in TEC efficiency. Note that the overall efficiency using the back-gated graphene anode is 6.7 times higher compared with that of a TEC with a tungsten anode and the same inter-electrode gap.

30 DIRECT ENERGY CONVERSION↗
DOE OSTI2010

Recent Advances in Thermionic Cathodes

The latest advances in thermionic cathodes, including scandate and controlled porosity reservoir cathodes, are reviewed. These new cathodes provide improved performance over conventional cathodes for many applications. Advantages and disadvantages are presented.

43 PARTICLE ACCELERATORS↗
DOE OSTI2014

Influence of Xe{sub 2}{sup +} ions on the micro-hollow cathode discharge driven by thermionic emission

The influence of Xe{sub 2}{sup +} dimer ions and excited Xe* atoms on the hollow cathode discharge driven by electron thermionic emission is studied using two-dimensional Particle-in-Cell Monte Carlo Collisions modeling. A comparison with the results of two-component (electrons and Xe{sup +} ions) plasma modeling showed that the presence of the Xe{sub 2}{sup +} dimer ions and excited Xe* atoms in the plasma affects the plasma parameters (density, potential, and ion fluxes toward the cathode). The influence of Xe{sub 2}{sup +} ions and Xe* atoms on the plasma sheath parameters, such as thickness and the ion velocity at the sheath edge, is analyzed.

74 ATOMIC AND MOLECULAR PHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2014

Sharp transition between two regimes of operation of dc discharge with two anodes and thermionic emission from cathode

In a dc discharge plasma with two anodes and thermionic emission from cathode, the two anodes are used for plasma control. The main anode is placed between the cathode and the other auxiliary anode has a circular opening for passing electron current from the cathode to the second anode. It is experimentally demonstrated that a plasma may exhibit a sudden transition between two quasi-stable conditions as one increases the cathode-electron current collected by the auxiliary anode through an aperture, i.e., hole, in the main anode. In one regime, a bright glowing “ball-shaped double layer” appears on the plasma side having a potential drop of 10–15 eV and concomitant ionization in the neighboring region attached to the opening. The second regime is characterized by a uniform potential profile in plasma and an absence of the ball-shaped double layer. The transition between these regimes is accompanied by a significant change in plasma properties, such as the electron energy distribution function (EEDF). Controlling the EEDF is a valuable capability in technological applications. Increasing the gas pressure leads to the elimination of the first regime for sufficiently high gas pressure, the threshold being a few Torr. The disappearance of a regime transition can be explained by invoking an EEDF transition, from being nonlocal at low pressure to becoming local at high pressure. Local EEDF is determined by local values of electric field. Nonlocal EEDF is determined by electric field values elsewhere, and the electron can travel without energy loss over a path much longer than the discharge dimension.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2014

Photon-enhanced thermionic emission from p-GaAs with nonequilibrium Cs overlayers

Photon-enhanced thermionic emission (PETE), which is promising for increasing the efficiency of solar energy conversion, is studied during cesium deposition on the As- and Ga-rich p-GaAs(001) surfaces and subsequent relaxation in the nonequilibrium Cs overlayer by means of photoemission quantum yield spectroscopy adapted for systems with time-variable parameters. Along with direct photoemission of “hot” electrons excited by light above the vacuum level, the spectra contain PETE contribution of “thermalized” electrons, which are excited below the vacuum level and emit in vacuum due to thermalization up in energy by phonon absorption. Comparing the measured and calculated spectra, the effective electron affinity and escape probabilities of hot and thermalized electrons are obtained as functions of submonolayer Cs coverage. The minima in the affinity and pronounced peaks in the escape probabilities are observed for Cs deposition on both the As- and Ga-rich surfaces. Possible reasons for the low mean values of the electron escape probabilities and for the observed enhancement of the probabilities at certain Cs coverages are discussed, along with the implications for the PETE device realization.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
DOE OSTI2015

Influence of the anode processes on discharges driven by thermionic emission

The influence of electron reflection and secondary electron emission due to electron impact from the anode on discharges driven by thermionic emission is studied by the self-consistent one-dimensional particle-in-cell Monte Carlo collisions model. Two regimes are considered. In the first regime, the two-stream instability is excited and large anode sheath potential is obtained. It is found that in this regime, the reflected electrons play a significant role. In the second regime, the instability is not excited and the anode sheath potential is small. The dominant anode process in this regime is the secondary electron emission. It is shown that in both regimes, the anode processes significantly influence the plasma parameters.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2024

Electrical and thermal characteristics of LaB6 thermionic hollow cathodes operating in He, D2, Ar, and Xe at 4–200 Pa and 0.25–5 A cm−2

We report characteristics of lanthanum hexaboride (LaB6) cathodes for conditions relevant to a high-voltage, high-current switching device. LaB6 is selected because of its relatively low work function, stability in the presence of many common gas impurities, and a low evaporation rate (long life) at operating temperatures. We have investigated the effect of cathode geometry, gas type, pressure, and current on a LaB6 hollow cathode in a diode configuration with an opposing planar anode. The gas is stagnant at a relatively low pressure of 4–200 Pa (0.03–1.5 Torr) because of device high-voltage standoff requirements. In all cases, the plasma voltage decreases to a plateau value with increasing current where a practical device would operate. The plateau voltage aligns with the fill gas excitation or ionization voltage, depending on conditions. At high current, the cathode temperature exceeds that required for thermionic emission to supply the total current, a behavior that is understood by accounting for back-diffusing bulk electrons.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2018

Alternative model of space-charge-limited thermionic current flow through a plasma

It is widely assumed that thermionic current flow through a plasma is limited by a “space-charge-limited” (SCL) cathode sheath that consumes the hot cathode's negative bias and accelerates upstream ions into the cathode. In this paper, we formulate a fundamentally different current-limited mode. In the “inverse” mode, the potentials of both electrodes are above the plasma potential, so that the plasma ions are confined. The bias is consumed by the anode sheath. There is no potential gradient in the neutral plasma region from resistivity or presheath. The inverse cathode sheath pulls some thermoelectrons back to the cathode, thereby limiting the circuit current. Thermoelectrons entering the zero-field plasma region that undergo collisions may also be sent back to the cathode, further attenuating the circuit current. In planar geometry, the plasma density is shown to vary linearly across the electrode gap. A continuum kinetic planar plasma diode simulation model is set up to compare the properties of current modes with classical, conventional SCL, and inverse cathode sheaths. SCL modes can exist only if charge-exchange collisions are turned off in the potential well of the virtual cathode to prevent ion trapping. With the collisions, the current-limited equilibrium must be inverse. Inverse operating modes should therefore be present or possible in many plasma devices that rely on hot cathodes. Evidence from past experiments is discussed. Finally, the inverse mode may offer opportunities to minimize sputtering and power consumption that were not previously explored due to the common assumption of SCL sheaths.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2018

Short Thermionic-Cathode Discharge in Alkaline-Earth Metal Vapor

A short (without a positive column) Knudsen thermionic discharge initiated in barium and strontium vapor has been investigated. It has been shown that the behavior of these discharges and their formation mechanism, effective heating of the plasma electrons by a cathode electron beam, are, in general, similar to the discharge in cesium.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
DOE OSTI2012

Effect on Non-Uniform Heat Generation on Thermionic Reactions

The penalty resulting from non-uniform heat generation in a thermionic reactor is examined. Operation at sub-optimum cesium pressure is shown to reduce this penalty, but at the risk of a condition analogous to burnout. For high pressure diodes, a simple empirical correlation between current, voltage and heat flux is developed and used to analyze the performance penalty associated with two different heat flux profiles, for series-and parallel-connected converters. The results demonstrate that series-connected converters require much finer power flattening than parallel converters. For example, a ±10% variation in heat generation across a series array can result in a 25 to 50% power penalty.

Effect on Non-Uniform Heat Generation on Thermioni↗