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US 5,360,490 AGranted
Radiant emission and thermophotovoltaic technology
AssigneeGas Research Institute
InventorRobert E. Nelson
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A radiant emission system includes ceramic fiber support structure and an array of emitter fiber members that are mechanically interlocked with and project outwardly from a surface of the support structure with the free ends of the emitter members spaced from one another and from the support structure, and thermal excitation structure for flowing fuel through the passages and establishing a combustion condition at the surface to heat the emitter fiber members to thermally emissive temperature.
Claims33
A radiant emission system comprising
- a support structure having an array of ceramic fibers and a surface,
- a multiplicity of elongated emitter fibers, said emitter fibers being in spaced mechanically interlocked array with said array of ceramic fibers and extending outwardly from said surface with end portions of said emitter fibers spaced from one another and from said support structure, and thermal excitation structure for establishing a combustion condition adjacent said surface to heat said emitter fibers to thermally emissive temperature.
A process of manufacturing and operating a radiant emission system comprising the steps of
- providing a support structure having a surface defined by an array of fibers of organic material imbibed with a nitrate compound,
- disposing a multiplicity of elongated members of organic material imbibed with a nitrate compound in spaced array, said members being mechanically interlocked with and projecting outwardly from said surface of said support structure,
- heating said support structure and said elongated members to convert said nitrate compounds to ceramic materials with concurrent decomposition and removal of said organic material, said ceramic members being replicas of said array of fibers and said elongated members of organic material,
- said ceramic emitter members being in spaced array and extending outwardly from said surface of said ceramic fiber support structure with end portions of said emitter members spaced from one another and from said support structure, and thermally exciting said emitter members by establishing a combustion condition adjacent said surface to heat said emitter members to thermally emissive temperature.
1 more element
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.