Thermionic multielement single-channel electrogenerating assembly: Prospects of development and application

The paper presents a comparative analysis of various schemes of thermionic electrogenerating assemblies (EGAs) that convert the heat of a nuclear reactor into electricity. Multielement single-channel EGAs, combining advantages of a single-element and a garland multielement EGA, are quite promising. The problem of high-temperature insulation of emitters in the construction of this EGA is solved by implementing a special technology to form a multilayer metal-ceramic composition, which is confirmed by the test results. We consider a number of different options for the possible use of this EGA design, depending on the emerging problems, emitter temperatures, and the output electrical power levels.