The paper presents an innovative concept of a cascaded solar bimodal power system with a high temperature Cs-Ba thermionic converter (TEC) and Alkali Metal Thermal to Electric Converter (AMTEC). Cs-Ba thermionic technology appears to be an ideal candidate for a TEC-AMTEC cascade due to high optimum collector temperature of such a TEC. Results show that the cascade conversion efficiency in excess of 45% is feasible. The efficiency of the high temperature a Cs-Ba TEC-AMTEC cascade is also compared with that of a Cs-Ba TEC-thermoelectric cascade. A cascaded solar concentration system which provides both high temperature (Cs-Ba TEC) and low temperature (AMTEC) energy conversion stages with their own concentrator, receiver and heat exchanger, and its advantages for solar bimodal systems are also discussed. The paper shows that the use of the high temperature Cs-Ba TEC-AMTEC cascade would allow the development of a highly efficient, compact and light power as well as bimodal systems to address future civilian and defense missions.
Cascaded space solar power system with high temperature Cs-Ba thermionic converter and AMTEC
Space technology and applications international forum - 1998 ; 1998 ; Albuquerque,New Mexico (USA)
AIP Conference Proceedings ; 420 , 1 ; 1565-1570
1998-01-15
6 pages
Conference paper
Electronic Resource
English
Cascaded Space Solar Power System with High Temperature Cs-Ba Thermionic Converter and AMTEC
British Library Conference Proceedings | 1998
|Design Analysis of Solar Thermionic/AMTEC Cascade Converter for Future Space Power Technology
British Library Conference Proceedings | 1996
|Solar thermal AMTEC space power systems
AIAA | 1995
|Solar AMTEC Power System with GPS
Online Contents | 1997
|