Over a half-million thermionic test hours were accumulated in the earlier thermionic fuel element (TFE) development program. When the program was terminated in early 1973, TFEs had operated 12500 h with projected three-year lifetimes, and individual laboratory converters operated more than five years with stable performance. Primary life-limiting factors were 1) thermionic emitter dimensional increases due to interactions with the fuel and 2) electrical insulator structural damage from fast neutrons. Multiple options for extending TFE lifetimes to seven years or longer are available.
Technology status of thermionic fuel elements for space nuclear power
Stand der Technik von thermionischen Brennstoffzellen bei der nuklearen Energieerzeugung im Weltraum
1984
11 Seiten, 25 Bilder, 14 Quellen
Aufsatz (Konferenz)
Englisch
Nuclear Reactor-Thermionic Space Power Systems
AIAA | 1961
|Design Analysis Code for Space Nuclear Reactors Using Single Cell Thermionic Fuel Elements
British Library Conference Proceedings | 1992
|SAE Technical Papers | 1992
|Thermionic technology infrastructure for space power
Tema Archiv | 1982
|The Emitter Envelopes for Power Intensive Thermionic Fuel Elements
SAE Technical Papers | 1992
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