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Results for “CESIUM PLASMA”

Search indexed NASA NTRS and DOE OSTI research on propulsion, heat transfer, battery materials and energy systems. Follow report and document links to the original sources.

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At least 55 records · Page 3
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS1986

A laboratory study of collisional electrostatic ion cyclotron waves

The effects of neutral-particle collisions on electrostatic ion cyclotron instability are analyzed. Experiments were conducted in the Q machine of Motley (1975) with a cesium plasma in which the neutral gas pressure in the main chamber varied from about 5 microtorr-10 mtorr. The relation between electrostatic ion cyclotron wave amplitude and frequency and neutral argon pressure is examined. It is observed that over the full range of neutral pressure the frequency changes by less than 10 percent and the ion cyclotron waves continue to be excited and reach amplitudes of at least several percent at values of the neutral pressure where the ion-neutral collision frequency/ion gyrofrequency is about 0.3.

Suszcynsky, D. M.↗
NASA NTRS1972

Electrodes for the thermionic converters, phase 2 - 3

The characteristics of electrodes for thermionic converters are discussed. A metal/ceramic Marchuk tube was constructed and operated with a quiescent cesium vapor plasma corresponding to cesium liquid reservoir temperatures from 376 to 427 K. The work function characteristics of tantalum test emitters coated with anodic films were measured to evaluate the applicability of the materials as the collector surface in a plasma mode thermionic converter. Work function minimum values between 1.4 and 1.5 electron volts were observed. The effect of the electronegative surface layers was partially obscured by additive vapor impurities detected by the clean tantalum reference emitter.

Desteese, J. G.↗
NASA NTRS1978

A review of the thermoelectronic laser energy converter (TELEC) program at Lewis Research Center

The investigation of the Thermoelectronic Laser Energy Converter (TELEC) concept began with a feasibility study of a 1 megawatt sized TELEC system. The TELEC was to use either cesium vapor or hydrogen as the plasma medium. The cesium vapor TELEC appears to be the more practical device studied with an overall calculated conversion efficiency of greater than 48%. Following this study, a small TELEC cell was fabricated which demonstrated the conversion of a small amount of laser power to electrical power. The cell developed a short circuit current of 0.7 amperes and an open circuit voltage, as extrapolated from volt-ampere curves, of about 1.5 volts.

Alger, D. L.↗
NASA NTRS1978

A review of the Thermoelectronic Laser Energy Converter /TELEC/ Program at Lewis Research Center

The investigation of the Thermoelectronic Laser Energy Converter (TELEC) concept at the Lewis Research Center (LeRC) began with a feasibility study of a 1 megawatt sized TELEC system. The TELEC was to use either cesium vapor or hydrogen as the plasma medium. The cesium vapor TELEC appears to be the more practical device studied with an overall calculated conversion efficiency of greater than 48%. Following this study, a small TELEC cell was fabricated which demonstrated the conversion of a small amount of laser power to electrical power. The cell developed a short circuit current of 0.7 amperes and an open circuit voltage, as extrapolated from volt-ampere curves, of about 1.5 volts. Work is now in progress to construct and test a cesium vapor TELEC capable of absorbing 20% of an incident 10 kW, 10.6 micrometer beam, and converting 35% of this power to electrical power.

Alger, D. L.↗