Hot Cathode Research Articles

Development and simulation of a gridded thermionic cathode electron gun for a high-energy photon source

Development and simulation of a gridded thermionic cathode electron gun for a high-energy photon source

Studies on plasma transport processes in the cathode sheath of atmospheric direct-current arc discharge with particle-in-cell and Monte Carlo collision simulation

A voltage-driven cathode sheath model in an atmospheric-pressure argon arc discharge is developed in the framework of an implicit particle-in-cell Monte Carlo collision (PIC–MCC) method. Plasma transport processes are solved numerically in one dimension without any local-equilibrium hypotheses, in particular, without explicitly dividing sheath and a quasi-neutral plasma region. The right boundary of the computational domain located at the pre-sheath is determined first by observing the variation in typical parameters. A comparison of results is given with different positions of the right boundary to study the plasma transport processes in the cathode sheath. Number densities, spatially averaged energies, electric field and potential, collision frequency, heating rate of electrons, as well as the spatially averaged electron energy probability function inside the sheath, are predicted self-consistently based on this newly developed kinetic model. It is shown that both excitation collisions and ionization collisions occur inside the sheath, and collision frequency of the former is larger than the latter. The collision frequency of charge exchange is higher than that of elastic collision for ions. In addition, the effects of different electron emission processes are described. It is indicated that the thermionic emission on the hot cathode surface is not the only significant emission mechanism to sustain the arc discharges.

Nickel Boride (NixB) Nanocrystals: From Solid-State Synthesis to Highly Colloidally Stable Inks

Metal borides, a class of materials intensively used in industry as superconductors, magnetic materials, or hot cathodes, remain largely unexplored at the nanoscale mainly due to the difficulty in synthesizing single-phase nanocrystals. Recent works have shown that synthetic methods at lower temperatures (<400 °C) yield amorphous polydisperse nanoparticles, while phase purity is an issue at higher temperatures. Among all the metal-rich borides, nickel borides (NixB) could be a potential catalyst for a broad range of applications (hydrogenations, electrochemical hydrogen, and oxygen evolution reactions) under challenging conditions (such as high pH or high temperatures). Here, we report a novel solid-state method to synthesize NixB nanopowders (with a diameter of approximately 45 nm) and their conversion into colloidal suspensions (inks) through treatment of the nanocrystal surface. For the solid-state synthesis, we used commercially available salts and explored the reaction between the Ni and B sources while varying the synthetic parameters under mild and solvent-free reaction conditions. We show that pure phase Ni3B and Ni2B NCs can be obtained with high yield in the pure phase using as precursors NiCl2 and Ni, respectively. Through extensive mechanistic studies, we show that Ni nanoclusters (1–2 nm) are an intermediate in the boriding process, while the metal co-reactant lowers the decomposition temperature of NaBH4 (used as a reducing agent and B source). Size control can instead be exerted through reaction mediators, as seen from the differential nucleation and growth of Ni (clusters) or NixB NCs when employing L- (amine, phosphine) and X-type (carboxylate) mediators. Applying surface engineering methods to our NixB NCs, we stabilized them with inorganic (NOBF4) or organic (borane tert-butyl amine, oleylamine) ligands in the appropriate solvent (DMSO, hexane). With this method, we produce stable inks for further solution processing applications. Our results provide tools for further development of catalysts based on NixB NCs and pave the way for synthesizing other metal boride colloidal nanostructures.

Study of crystalline scintillator response with development of single-electron beam of 2–6 MeV at KU-FEL

ABSTRACT A single-electron measurement technique is developed at the Kyoto University Free Electron Laser (KU-FEL) facility, and the responses of crystalline scintillators to electrons of 2–6 MeV are investigated. Precise control of the thermionic cathode of the radio frequency gun and the bending magnet allow a low-intensity monoenergetic electron beam to be produced for single-electron measurements. The pulse-height distributions and energy proportionalities are measured for three scintillators (PWO, LaBr3:Ce, and LYSO:Ce). The shapes of the observed pulse-height distributions almost match those of deposited energy distributions calculated by Monte Carlo simulations, thereby making it possible to deduce the energy deposition to the detectors, and all the scintillators show good proportionalities.

Cathode position effects on microwave discharge cusped field thruster

The microwave discharge cusped field thruster is a novel concept of electric micropropulsion device, which operates μN level thrust in low mass flow rate conditions, making use of a coaxial transmission line resonator. With its advantages of low thrust noise and high thrust resolution over a wide range of thrust, the thruster has emerged as a candidate thruster for the space-borne gravitational wave detection mission. The cathode effects commonly exist in many kinds of electric propulsion, and they are typically significant in micropropulsions. In order to find out the cathode position effects on a microwave discharge cusped field thruster, a thermionic cathode is mounted on a cross-slider for coupling. Under different cathode positions, the plume is analyzed by a Faraday probe and a retarding potential analyzer to analyze the performance and discharge characteristics. The results show that the magnetic mirror effect leads to significant degradation of anode current and an increase in low-energy ion ratio as the cathode moves away from the thruster exit. The electron conduction route also significantly impacts anode current efficiency, related to the cathode-exit distance and the thruster magnetic topology.

Testing of ITER diagnostic pressure gauges in preparation of final design review

Hot cathode ionization gauges will measure neutral gas pressures in the vacuum vessel of ITER. Overall 52 gauge heads are distributed in the divertor, the equatorial ports and pumping ducts. Present design and prototype testing of diagnostic pressure gauge (DPG) heads is presented. Focus is on the development of a novel type of cathode, which is able to overcome major issues that emerged during the preliminary design phase. In comparison with the formerly employed yttria coated tungsten–rhenium filament, the operational stability of the present cathode, which uses an indirectly heated plate of zirconium carbide as the electron emitter, is enhanced in terms of needed heating current and accuracy. A major issue of filament deflection by electromagnetic forces was overcome through the rigid setup, which still allows for the compensation of differential thermal expansion and provides a high reproducibility in manufacturing. Reliable functioning for long periods was proven successfully in a superconducting magnet, covering the required pressure range. Prototype testing revealed an issue during permanent operation in hydrogen at high pressures: erosion can lead to limited life-time of the cathode. The introduction of interlayer foils can retard but not completely inhibit the process. A possible mechanism based on reaction and diffusion of carbon is proposed.

Improving discharge performance of space-charge limited hot cathodes via local neutral collisionality

The effects of neutral gas inlet location to the performance of SCL hot cathodes is investigated. It is found that placing the neutral gas inlet very close (∼5 mm) to the hot cathode can significantly improve the emission characteristics via immersing the hot cathode in a volume of elevated neutral density. Such placement of the neutral gas inlet was found to make no observable effect on global plasma parameters when the discharge conditions are otherwise identical, facilitating the implementation of this measure onto existing plasma devices. Even with only a small part of the hot cathode is immersed in a volume of an elevated neutral density, the improvement of electron emission is found to be very significant. Thus, one can envision a design of a hot cathode assembly with an integrated neutral gas inlet to significantly improve its emission performance. The underlying mechanism of this improvement of hot cathode performance is the reduction of SCL effects, thus applicable to SCL hot cathodes regardless of heating configurations. This will be particularly useful in low pressure applications where a widened range of operable plasma parameters are often desirable.

Experimental investigation of thermionic cathode properties of ultrafine tungsten filament

The thermionic cathode emission properties of an ultrafine tungsten filament are investigated with the accurate filament temperature (T) measured by an infrared pyrometer. The results show that the tungsten filament begins to emit electrons at T of about 1800 K, and the maximum electron emission efficiency (∼20 mA/W) occurs at T of about 2900 K. Moreover, the effective filament area for electron emission reaches saturation after T exceeds 2700 K. For a tungsten hot-cathode, a using standard is recommended that its operating temperature should not exceed 2600 K, the electron emission current density should not exceed 0.5 A/cm2, and the electron emission efficiency should be less than 5 mA/W. Additionally, the relation between the thermal emissivity of tungsten filament and T is also studied, showing a nearly linear increase of the thermal emissivity from 0.23 to 0.31 with T increasing from 1700 K to 2500 K and a saturated thermal emissivity of 0.48 at T of about 2900 K.

Structure of the surface layer of high-chrome steel nitridated in the elion regime in the plasma of a suspended arc discharge with a heated cathode

The purpose of this work is to reveal the patterns of formation of the structure of the surface layer of high-chromium steel subjected to nitriding in a low-pressure gas discharge plasma using a plasma generator with a hot cathode "PINK". Heating of the samples to the nitriding temperature was carried out by the ionic component of the plasma, as well as by the electron and ionic components of the plasma (elion mode). The object of the study was heat-resistant corrosion-resistant steel of the austenitic class grade 20X23H18 (foreign analogue of AISI310S). The relevance of research is due to the relatively low level of hardness and wear resistance of steels of this class. Nitriding of steel was carried out on the TRIO installation, retrofitted with a switching unit for implementing the aelion (electronic and ionic) processing mode. It has been established that the thickness of the hardened layer is (55-60) pm and weakly depends on the method of nitriding, temperature (in the range of 793-873 K), and duration (3-5 hours) of the process. A nitriding regime has been revealed that makes it possible to form a surface layer with a microhardness of 13.7 GPa (ionic heating mode) and 10.8 GPa (elion heating mode). It has been established that the high strength and tribological properties of nitrided steel are due to the formation of a nanocrystalline structure in the surface layer, the main phases of which are iron nitrides Fe4N and chromium nitrides CrN. It is shown that heating the samples to the nitriding temperature in the aelion mode, which uses the electron and ion components of the plasma, leads to a significantly lower level of material roughness compared to the samples heated during nitriding by the ion component of the plasma.

THE INFLUENCE OF PLASMA ASSISTANCE MODES ON CHARACTERISTICS AND COMPOSITION OF PVD ZIRCONIUM NITRIDE COATINGS

Zirconium nitride coatings are deposited by a vacuum-arc method at a low (0.01-0.04 Pa) nitrogen partial pressure in the modes without and with plasma assistance. The plasma assistance is provided by the operation of a gas plasma source based on a non-self-sustained arc discharge with thermionic and hollow cathodes. This new low-inertia method has not been practically studied in terms of formation of nitride coatings with different architecture (single-layer, multi-layer, gradient coatings). We note that the effect of plasma assistance (an increase of the nitrogen concentration in the nitride coating with the increasing nitrogen ion fraction in the gas-metal plasma) is practically unobservable in the ZrN coatings formed under the selected conditions. Furthermore, their phase compositions do not noticeably change and their physical, mechanical and tribological properties are not significantly improved.

Tungsten Electron Emitter (TE2) with direct heated cathode by plasma stream

At Goethe-University, a novel concept of heating metallic cathodes is currently under investigation. In the scope of the ARIES collaboration WP16, an RF-modulated electron gun was developed and manufactured for application in electron lenses for space charge compensation. The goal of this project is to increase the intensity of primary beams, especially in low energy booster synchrotrons like the SIS18 and SIS100 at GSI/FAIR or the SPS at CERN. The gun was designed to produce electron currents of 10 A at extraction voltages of 30 kV. The tungsten electron emitter (TE2) and the grid electrode were designed and manufactured to be integrated in the extractor of the original volume type ion source. Significant effort was put into a robust and flexible design with highly reliable key components. The cathode is heated by a plasma stream generated in the plasma chamber of the source. Different heating options of the cathode are currently being studied. This contribution presents the working principles of the electron gun and first measurements results of cathode heating.

Micro Resistance Spot Welding Optimization for Ultra-Thin Mo-Re Sheet Used in TWT

<inline-formula xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink"> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$30~\mu $ </tex-math></inline-formula> m ultra-thin Mo-Re sheet had been joined by micro resistance spot welding (MRSW) and successfully applied to the low heating power cathode of traveling wave tube (TWT). The effects of different welding parameters, surface state and protection conditions on the joint’s appearance, micro-structure and lap shear strength (LSS) were analyzed in this paper. The results showed that a 63.5 N LSS of the MRSW joint was obtained under the following conditions: electrode force <inline-formula xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink"> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$F=9.0$ </tex-math></inline-formula> N, welding current <inline-formula xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink"> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$I=1000\text{A}$ </tex-math></inline-formula> , ramping time <inline-formula xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink"> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$t_{1}=5$ </tex-math></inline-formula> ms, welding time <inline-formula xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink"> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$t_{2}=2$ </tex-math></inline-formula> ms and dip in the alcohol for protection. The fracture occurs in the heat affected zone (HAZ). Using metallurgical microscopy observed the nugget, metallurgical fusion could be found, the diameter of nugget was about <inline-formula xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink"> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$\Phi 0.3$ </tex-math></inline-formula> mm, without gas pores. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) was used to observe the fracture surface. It could be found some “whisker” shape diverged from the joint center to the surroundings in HAZ. The electrode tip was observed by energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS) and optical profiler. It was found that the tip was uneven and adhered the base metal obviously after spark. Additional work about electrode sticking will be required. The thermal test data showed that the use of ultra-thin Mo-Re sheet can reduce a space TWT cathode heating power (CHP) by 0.57 W, which will effectively save satellite energy and improve the expected working life of vacuum electronic devices.

Thermodynamic Modeling and Exergy Analysis of A Combined High-Temperature Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cell and ORC System for Automotive Applications

A combined system consisting of a high-temperature proton exchange membrane fuel cell (HT-PEMFC) and an organic Rankine cycle (ORC) is provided for automotive applications in this paper. The combined system uses HT-PEMFC stack cathode exhaust gas to preheat the inlet gas and the ORC to recover the waste heat from the stack. The model of the combined system was developed and the feasibility of the model was verified. In addition, the evaluation index of the proposed system was derived through an energy and exergy analysis. The numerical simulation results show that the HT-PEMFC stack, cathode heat exchanger, and evaporator contributed the most to the total exergy loss of the system. These components should be optimized as a focus of future research to improve system performance. The lower current density increased the ecological function and the system efficiency, but reduced the system's net out-power. A higher inlet temperature and higher hydrogen pressures of the stack and the lower oxygen pressure helped improve the system performance. Compared to the HT-PEFC system without an ORC subsystem, the output power of the combined system was increased by 12.95%.

LOW-PRESSURE UNIFORM PLASMA GENERATOR BASED ON HOLLOW CATHODE FOR ION PLASMA TECHNOLOGIES

The current paper describes the results of the improvement of a volumetric high-current low-pressure plasma generator. The device was made on the basis of a hollow cathode with a gas-magnetron ignition of the discharge and an auxiliary arc discharge for the cathode heating up to thermionic emission temperature. The device was operated at a working gas pressure of 0.1...1 Pa and had an electron concentration of 1010…51011 cm-3. It was shown that the addition of the auxiliary electrode after the emission hole of the canoed unit lead to the improvement of generated plasma characteristics. This plasma generator may be used in the processes of ion-plasma technologies (oxidation, nitration in non-hydrogen media), as well as in energy-saving technologies of combined ion-plasma processing of structural materials.

Spark plasma sintering of polycrystalline La0.6Ce0.3Pr0.1B6–ZrB2 composites

AbstractThis paper has studied the densification, microstructure, and properties of polycrystalline La0.6Ce0.3Pr0.1B6–ZrB2 composites prepared by spark plasma sintering (SPS). The highest relative density of 98.7% is obtained at the SPS condition of axial mechanical pressure 50 MPa, sintering temperature 1900°C and holding time 5 min. The Vickers hardness decreases linearly from the maximum value of 21.49 GPa to the value of 8.24 GPa with the tested temperature increased from room temperature to 1000°C. The effects of crack deflection and bridging have resulted in the fracture toughness of 4.56 MPa m1/2 of dense polycrystalline La0.6Ce0.3Pr0.1B6–ZrB2 composite. The J1kV of 7.02 A/cm2 obtained at 1600°C, the work function of 2.743 eV determined by ultraviolet photoelectron spectroscopy, and the good oxidation resistance below 1100°C in air have revealed that the dense polycrystalline La0.6Ce0.3Pr0.1B6–ZrB2 composite has a good potential to be a promising hot cathode material.

Enhanced and Selective Absorption of Molybdenum Nanostructured Surfaces for Concentrated Solar Energy Applications

Surfaces of commercial molybdenum (Mo) plates have been textured by fs-laser treatments with the aim to form low-cost and efficient solar absorbers and substrates for thermionic cathodes in Concentrated Solar Power conversion devices. Morphological (SEM and AFM), optical (spectrophotometry), and structural (Raman spectroscopy) properties of the samples treated at different laser fluences (from 1.8 to 14 J/cm2) have been characterized after the laser treatments and also following long thermal annealing for simulating the operating conditions of thermionic converters. A significant improvement of the solar absorptance and selectivity, with a maximum value of about four times higher than the pristine sample at a temperature of 800 K, has been detected for sample surfaces treated at intermediate fluences. The effects observed have been related to the light trapping capability of the laser-induced nanotexturing, whereas a low selectivity, together with a high absorptance, could be revealed when the highest laser fluence was employed due to a significant presence of oxide species. The ageing process confirms the performance improvement shown when treated samples are used as solar absorbers, even though, due to chemical modification occurring at the surface, a decrease of the solar absorptance takes place. Interestingly, the sample showing the highest quantity of oxides preserves more efficiently the laser texturing. The observation of this behaviour allows to extend the applicability of the laser treatments since, by further nanostructuring of the Mo oxides, it could be beneficial also for sensing applications.

RF MODULATED THERMIONIC ELECTRON GUN

We present design and simulation results on the electron source for S-band technological electron linac. This device is a combination of an RF gun and a DC diode gun. The gun consists of a thermionic cathode, which is mounted on the wall of the TM010 cavity that is under negative high voltage potential relatively to an anode. The particles dynamics has been studied by simulation. At an average particle energy of 95 keV, the beam pulse current is 0.44 A, the emittance does not exceed 4.8 mmmrad, and 70% of all electrons are concentrated in the 72° phase range.

Scandium wetting of tungsten surfaces in “scandate” thermionic cathodes

The surface structure and electron emission mechanism in high-performing “scandate” thermionic cathodes has long been a point of debate, in part due to the challenges inherent in observing emitting surfaces under operational conditions. Critically, the distribution and role of Sc in enabling high emitted current densities at low operating temperatures remains unclear. Here, using density functional theory calculations of the structure and energy of bare and Sc-covered W slabs, the wetting behavior of Sc on W has been explored.Computed surface excess energies reveal that, despite the bulk immiscibility of W and Sc, a single monolayer of Sc wets (001), (110), and (112) W surfaces at very low oxygen chemical potentials. The addition of further layers of Sc was found to be thermodynamically unfavorable. In contrast to previous studies, the present findings suggest the existence of a Sc interlayer directly atop W in scandate cathodes, representing a novel example of surface-energy-driven metal-on-metal wetting leading to self-assembly of atomically-thin layers.

Physics-Based Model for Nonuniform Thermionic Electron Emission from Polycrystalline Cathodes

A physics-based model that predicts the emitted current from thermionic cathodes is developed, which accurately spans from the temperature-limited (TL) to full-space-charge-limited (FSCL) regions. Experimental observations of thermionic electron emission demonstrate a smooth transition between TL and FSCL regions of the emitted-current-density-versus-temperature (J-T) (Miram) curve and the emitted-current-density-versus-voltage (J-V) curve. Knowledge of the temperature and shape of the TL-FSCL transition is important in evaluating the thermionic electron-emission performance of cathodes, including predicting the lifetime. However, there are no first-principles physics-based models that predict the smooth TL-FSCL transition region for real thermionic cathodes without applying a priori assumptions or empirical phenomenological equations that are physically difficult to justify. Previous work detailing the nonuniform thermionic emission found that the effects of three-dimensional space charge, patch fields (electrostatic potential nonuniformity on the cathode surface based on local work-function values), and Schottky barrier lowering can lead to a smooth TL-FSCL transition region from a model thermionic cathode surface with a checkerboard spatial distribution of work-function values. In this work, we construct a physics-based nonuniform emission model for commercial dispenser cathodes. This emission model is obtained by incorporating the cathode surface grain orientation via electron-backscatter diffraction and the facet-orientation-specific work-function values from density-functional-theory calculations. The model enables the construction of two-dimensional emitted-current-density maps of the cathode surface and corresponding J-T and J-V curves. The predicted emission curves show excellent agreement with experiment, not only in the TL and FSCL regions but, crucially, also in the TL-FSCL transition region. This model provides a method to predict the thermionic emission from the microstructure of a commercial cathode and improves the understanding of the relationship between thermionic emission and cathode microstructure, which is beneficial for the design of vacuum electronic devices.

Upgrade of the Neutral Beam Injection System on EAST

The experimental advanced superconducting tokamak (EAST) is one of the fully superconducting tokamaks. A high-power neutral beam injector (NBI) system consisting of two injectors (EAST-NBI) was employed on EAST for plasma heating and current driving. The designed deuterium beam energy is 50–80 keV, beam power is 2–4 MW, and the beam duration is 10–100 s. Each beamline is equipped with two hot cathode ion sources and can be operated individually. In order to support the planned physics research on EAST, the NBI-2 was shifted from port F to port D, and at the same time, its injection direction was changed from counter-injection to co-injection. Furthermore, the high power ion source was optimized with better feedback control for stable long pulse beam, and a new technology of beam re-turn on was also developed and applied aiming at long pulse beam injection. Details of the NBI status will be presented in this article.