Open AccessLIQUID METAL-HEATED SPACE RADIATOR-MOUNTED THERMIONIC GENERATOR. Quarterly Report No. 1, July 1-September 30, 1963
Author(s) -
F.C. Harter
Publication year - 1964
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Reports
DOI - 10.2172/4157234
Subject(s) - radiator (engine cooling) , tungsten , thermionic emission , materials science , tantalum , common emitter , generator (circuit theory) , rhenium , analytical chemistry (journal) , electrical engineering , metallurgy , physics , optoelectronics , power (physics) , optics , chemistry , nuclear physics , engineering , thermodynamics , electron , chromatography
The design of the thermionic converter to be evaluated was completed. The converter incorporates a tantalum-10% tungsten alloy liquid metal containment tube insulated by BeO from a tungsten-25% rhenium emitter. A nickel collector with an interelectrode space of 8 mils was selected. The predicted performance of this converter indicates a power output of 4.7 w/cm/sup 2/ with an efficiency of 12% when the emitter temperature is 1500 deg C. A bifilar tungsten filament was selected for use as a heater in this program based on a study contained in this report. (auth