Analysis of Ya-21u Thermionic Fuel Elements

Abstract

The Ya-21u unit of the Soviet-made TOPAZ-II power system has recently been tested at the Thermionic Evaluation Facility in Albuquerque, New Mexico. A change in the unit performance was measured during these tests. In an attempt to identify the causes of this change performance, data were examined and used to estimate surface properties of electrodes of thermionic fuel elements (TFEs) of the power system. The effective emissivity was estimated at {approximately}0.03 to 0.035 higher than for as-fabricated TFE and cesiated work functions of the electrodes, which were higher than for as-fabricated TFEs. These changes in the effective emissivity and cesiated work functions, caused by gaseous impurities and air incursion in the TFEs interelectrode gap, lowered both the emitter temperature and the output load voltage thus contributing to the measured decrease in output power.