Modeling Thermionic Energy Converters
A. Minnich (UCB-CES)

Thermionic Energy Converters (TECs) are energy conversion devices 
capable of converting heat directly to electricity. They are based on 
the thermionic emission of electrons from a hot surface. These 
electrons cross a gap and are collected at a cooler surface, forming a 
current that can be used to perform electrical work. TECs have many 
attractive properties, including high reliability; low weight; and, 
because they are direct conversion devices, no losses associated with a 
working fluid. Since the electrons traversing the gap constitute a 
plasma, the dynamics of the electrons in the gap can be easily modeled 
with plasma simulations. This seminar will present the development, 
verification, and ongoing extension of a one-dimensional model for TECs 
using the XPDP1 plasma simulation code.