The performance of a thermionic converter with a planar, macro-grooved, Molybdenum emitter and a smooth Molybdenum collector was investigated experimentally. The emitter’s concentric macro-grooves were 0.5 mm deep, 0.5 mm wide, and 1.0 mm apart and the inter-electrode gap was 0.5 mm wide. The emitter temperature was varied from 1573 to 1773 K, the collector temperature was 1073 and 1173 K, and the cesium pressure, P Cs , in the inter-electrode gap was varied from 50–500 Pa. A peak electric power density of 1.2 W/cm2 and a peak conversion efficiency of ∼8.3%, were achieved at a relatively low emitter temperature of 1773 K and a high collector temperature of 1173 K. When the emitter and collector temperatures were 1673 and 1073 K, the maximum peak conversion efficiency at P Cs =300 Pa was 8.1%, and the peak electric power density was ∼1.0 W/cm2. At emitter and collector temperatures of 1573 and 1073 K, respectively, the maximum peak power density (0.46 W/cm2) and the maximum peak conversion efficiency (5.4%) were ∼20% higher and 2% lower, respectively, than for a larger gap of 1.5 mm (0.4 W/cm2 and 5.5%, respectively).


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    Title :

    Performance evaluation of a thermionic converter with a macro-grooved emitter and a smooth collector


    Contributors:

    Conference:

    Space technology and applications international forum - 1998 ; 1998 ; Albuquerque,New Mexico (USA)


    Published in:

    AIP Conference Proceedings ; 420 , 1 ; 308-316


    Publication date :

    1998-01-15


    Size :

    9 pages





    Type of media :

    Conference paper


    Type of material :

    Electronic Resource


    Language :

    English



    Performance Evaluation of Thermionic Converter with Macro-Grooved Emitter and a Smooth Collector

    El-Genk, M. S. / Momozaki, Y. / University of New Mexico; School of Engineering; Institute for Space and Nuclear Power Studies | British Library Conference Proceedings | 1998


    A thermionic converter with a planar, macro-grooved emitter and 0.5 mm Gap

    Momozaki, Yoichi / El-Genk, Mohamed S. | American Institute of Physics | 1999


    A Thermionic Converter with a Planar, Macro-Grooved Emitter and 0.5 mm Gap

    Momozaki, Y. / El-Genk, M. S. / University of New Mexico; School of Engineering; Institute for Space and Nuclear Power Studies | British Library Conference Proceedings | 1999


    Effects of Collector Temperature on the Performance of Grooved Electrode Thermionic Converters

    Momozaki, Y. / El-Genk, M. S. / Institute for Space and Nuclear Power Studies | British Library Conference Proceedings | 2003