Method and apparatus for electrical power generation

Claim 1

APPARATUS FOR DIRECTLY CONVERTING THERMAL ENERGY TO ELECTRICAL ENERGY WITH AN EFFICIENCY GREATER THAN 50% CONSISTING ESSENTIALLY OF A HOUSING, AN ELECTRON EMITTING CATHODE IN SAID HOUSING, AN ANODE IN SAID HOUSING SPACED FROM SAID CATHODE, MEANS FOR APPLYING THERMAL ENERGY TO SAID CATHODE, A CONTROL ELECTRODE BETWEEN SAID CATHODE AND ANODE FOR PRODUCING A POTENTIAL FIELD GRADIENT TO ACCELERATE A MAJOR PORTION OF THE ELECTRONS EMITTED FROM THE CATHODE TO SAID ANODE WHEN A POSITIVE EXTERNAL POTENTIAL OF PREDETERMINED VALUE IS APPLIED TO SAID CONTROL ELECTRODE AND WITHOUT AN EXTERNAL POTENTIAL APPLIED TO SAID ANODE, PASSIVE POWER ABSORBING MEANS ONLY CONNECTED TO SAID ANODE, AND MEANS CONNCECTED TO SAID CONTROL ELECTRODE FOR APPLYING A POSITIVE POTENTIAL OF SAID PREDETERMINED VALUE TO SAID CONTROL ELECTRODE TO PRODUCE A TRANSFER OF ELECTRICAL ENERGY TO SAID PASSIVE POWER ABSORBING MEANS EAUAL TO SUBSTANTIALLY MORE THAN 50% OF THE THERMAL ENERGY APPLIED TO SAID CATHODE BY SAID THERMAL ENERGY APPLYING MEANS.