Nuclear thermionic avalanche cells with thermoelectric (NTAC-TE) generator in tandem mode
AssigneeUnited States of America as represented by the Administrator of NASA
InventorsSang Hyouk Choi, Kunik Lee
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Abstract
Systems, methods, and devices of the various embodiments described herein enable an energy conversion system comprising a radioactive element for generating conduction-band electrons in an avalanche cell and generating heat, wherein the conduction-band electrons are provided to an anode to generate avalanche cell power, and the heat is provided to a thermoelectric generator to generate thermoelectric power. In an embodiment, the avalanche cell is irradiated with gamma rays, which excite electrons within the avalanche cell, generating a current. In an additional embodiment, the thermoelectric power and avalanche cell power can comprise a dual power system.
Claims20
An energy conversion system comprising:
- a radioactive material configured to emit high energy photons and thermal waves;
- a Nuclear Thermionic Avalanche Cell (NTAC) configured to receive the photons and the thermal waves from the radioactive material and by the received photons free up electrons in an avalanche process from deep and intra bands of an atom to output high density avalanche cell power through a thermionic process of the freed up electrons;
- and
- a thermoelectric generator (TE) configured to receive the thermal waves from the NTAC and output thermoelectric power based at least in part on the received thermal waves.
A method for energy conversion, comprising:
- receiving photons and thermal waves emitted from a radioactive material at a Nuclear Thermionic Avalanche Cell (NTAC);
- outputting avalanche electrons using in part the received photons;
- guiding the avalanche electrons to cross over a vacuum gap to reach a receptor electrode under an applied bias voltage to allow the avalanche electrons received by the receptor electrode to run through a quantum well structure for ultrafast mobility to a power circuit;
- receiving the thermal waves from the NTAC at a thermoelectric generator (TE);
- and
- outputting thermoelectric power from the TE based at least in part on the received thermal waves.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.