Thermal Stabilization of a Thermionic Diode Collector.

The efficiency of the thermionic diode direct energy converter is dependent upon the interrelated collector temperature, emitter temperature, space charge control and operating load. For instructional purposes it is desirable to be able to vary one parameter at a time while holding the remaining parameters constant. A control system to maintain the collector temperature independent of the other parameter variations is proposed. Using feedback control techniques, a positioning servo mechanism is employed to regulate heat input to the thermionic diode collector. Operating characteristics of the diode and control system results are presented. Author