Thermionic energy converter

Claim 1

A THERMIONIC ENERGY CONVERTER COMPRISING A TUBE OF INSULATING MATERIAL, A PLURALITY OF THERMIONIC ENERGY CONVERTER CELLS SEQUENTIALLY LONGITUDINALLY ARRANGED WITHIN SAID TUBE, EACH OF SAID CELLS COMPRISING A CYLINDRICAL COLLECTOR ELECTRODE DISPOSED ON THE INNER WALL OF SAID TUBE AND A CYLINDRICAL EMITTER ELECTRODE DISPOSED WITHIN THE COLLECTOR ELECTRODE, EACH EMITTER ELECTRODE BEING SPACED FROM AND CONCENTRICALLY POSITIONED WITH RESPECT TO ITS CORRESPONDING COLLECTOR ELECTRODE, EACH COLLECTOR AND EMITTER ELECTRODE OF A CELL BEING LONGITUDINALLY SPACED FROM THE COLLECTOR AND EMITTER ELECTRODES OF ADJACENT CELLS, EACH COLLECTOR ELECTRODE OF A CELL BEING CONNECTED TO THE EMITTER ELECTRODE OF THE ADJACENT CELL, RESPECTIVE PLURALITIES OF SHEETS DISPOSED BETWEEN ADJACENT COLLECTOR ELECTRODES OPPOSITE THE INNER WALL OF SAID TUBE, EACH OF SAID PLURALITIES OF SHEETS COMPRISING AT LEAST A PAIR OF SHEETS WHICH ARE SPACED FROM AND OVERLAP EACH OTHER, ONE OF SAID PAIR OF SHEETS BEING CONNECTED TO ONE OF TWO ADJACENT COLLECTOR ELECTRODES, THE OTHER OF SAID PAIR OF SHEETS BEING CONNECTED TO THE OTHER OF SAID TWO ADJACENT COLLECTOR ELECTRODES, AND A HEATER CONTAINED WITHIN EACH OF SAID EMITTER ELECTRODES.