Thermionic energy converter

Claim 1

A THERMINOIC ENERGY CONVERSION ELEMENT COMPRISING AN ELONGATED TUBULAR ELECTRON EMMISSIVE HEATABLE CATHODE ARRANGEMENT AND AN ELONGATED TUBULAR COOLABLE ANODE ARRANGEMENT SPACED SUBSTANTIALLY CONCENTRICALLY FROM SAID CATHODE ARRANGEMENT, SAID CATHODE AND ANODE ARRANGEMENTS EACH HAVING A PLURALITY OF RESPECTIVE RADIALLY OPPOSED AND LONGTUDINALLY EXTENDING AND SPACED MEMBERS, THE RADIALLY OPPOSED ANODE AND CATHODE MEMBERS FORMING RESPECTIVE THERMIONIC DIODES, MEANS FOR CONNECTING SAID DIODES IN ELECTRICAL SERIES AND FOR SUPPORTING SAID CATHODE AND ANODE ARRANGEMENTS RELATIVE TO EACH OTHER AND RELATIVE TO A CLADDING ENVELOPE THEREFOR, SAID CONNECTING AND SUPPORTING MEANS INCLUDING A PLURALITY OF SPACED AND ELECTRICALLY CONDUCTIVE SUPPORT MEMBERS EXTENDING BETWEEN AND ENGAGING AN ELECTICALLY CONDUCTIVE BASE MEMBER MOUNTED ON AN END REGION OF EACH CATHODE MEMBER EXCEPT ONE OF THE END CATHODE MEMBERS AND AN END REGION OF THE ANODE MEMBER OF THE LONGITUDINALLY ADJACENT DIODE, SAID BASE MEMBERS EACH BEING SPACEDLY SECURED TO THE END REGION OF ITS ASSOCIATED CATHODE MEMBER BY AN ELECTRICALLY CONDUCTIVE STUD CONNECTION, THE TOTAL ELECTRICALLY CONDUCTING STRUCTURAL CROSS SECTION AND THE STRUCTURAL LENGTHS OF SAID SUPPORT MEMBERS AND OF SAID STUD CONNECTIONS BEING SO VALUED AS TO PROVIDE A RELATIVE MINIMUM OF CATHODE-ANODE HEAT TRANSFER AND A RELATIVE MAXIMUM OF ANODE-CATHODE ELECTRON FLOW THROUGH SAID SUPPORT MEMBERS.