Patent · US Expired

Thermionic converter with differentially heated cesium-oxygen source and method of operation

US6100621A · kind A · utility

8Cited by
8References
19Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateMar 26, 1998
Grant dateAug 8, 2000
Priority date
Expiry dateMar 26, 2018

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
  • CPC primaryH02N3/00
  • WIPO fieldElectrical machinery, apparatus, energy
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

A thermionic converter having an emitter, a collector, and a source of cesium vapor is provided wherein the source of cesium vapor is differentially heated so that said source has a hotter end and a cooler end, with cesium vapor evaporating from said hotter end into the space between the emitter and the collector and with cesium vapor condensing at said cooler end. The condensed cesium vapor migrates through a porous element from the cooler end to the hotter end.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.