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US 8,941,305 B2Granted
Field emission device
AssigneeElwha LLC
InventorsRoderick A. Hyde, Jordin T. Kare, Nathan P. Myhrvold, Tony S. Pan, Lowell L. Wood, Jr.
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A field emission device is configured as a heat engine.
Claims21
An apparatus comprising:
- a cathode, an anode, a gate, and a suppressor;
- wherein the anode and cathode are receptive to a first power source to produce an anode electric potential higher than a cathode electric potential;
- and
- wherein the gate is receptive to a second power source and the suppressor is receptive to a third power source, and wherein the gate and the suppressor are positioned relative to the cathode and anode to produce an electric potential distribution responsive to the second and third power sources that allows a net current of electrons to flow from the cathode to the anode.
1 more element
An apparatus comprising:
- circuitry configured to receive a first signal corresponding to a heat engine, the heat engine including an anode, cathode, gas-filled region, gate and suppressor;
- circuitry configured to process the first signal to determine a first relative power output of the heat engine as a function of a first set of outputs from a set of power sources applied to each of the anode, gate, and suppressor;
- circuitry configured to determine a second set of outputs from the set of power sources corresponding to a second relative power output of the heat engine different from the first relative power output of the heat engine;
- and
- circuitry configured to output a second signal to produce the determined second set of outputs from the set of power sources.
2 more elements
An apparatus comprising:
- a cathode, an anode, and a suppressor;
- wherein each of the anode and suppressor is responsive to an input to produce a suppressor-anode potential barrier between the suppressor and anode;
- and
- wherein the inputs to the anode and suppressor are configured to produce an electric field such that a set of electrons from the cathode can tunnel through the suppressor-anode potential barrier to produce a net current at the anode.
1 more element
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.