Высокотемпературный термоэмиссионный преобразователь с пониженным давлением паров цезия и сверхвысокотемпературным составным коллектором

Abstract

The current-voltage characteristics of a high-temperature thermionic energy converter (TEC) with a homogeneous and macroscopically inhomogeneous (component) collector at a reduced cesium vapor pressure were calculated numerically. The case when the surface of the TEC collector is a set of periodically located macroscopic elements with different work function is considered. Based on a comparative analysis of the distributions of the parameters of low-temperature cesium plasma along the length of the interelectrode gap for various points of the current-voltage characteristics for two collector options, qualitative conclusions are made about the difference between the processes that occur in the converter with a component collector and the effect of these processes on the course of the current-voltage characteristic. The results indicate the advantage of the TEC with a component collector relative to a converter with a homogeneous collector, in the most interesting, from the point of view of generating electric energy (maximum output power), current-voltage characteristics. To obtain quantitative dependences of the influence of macroscopic in homogeneity of the collector on the electron work function on the output characteristics of a high-temperature TEC, it is necessary to conduct optimization numerical experiments and experimental studies.