Nuclear reactor and thermionic converter cells therefor

Claim 2

A nuclear thermionic converter cell comprising: a fuel ring; a converter mounting ring encircling said fuel ring and snugly fitting thereabout; a plurality of disk-shaped electron emitters juxtaposedly mounted around the periphery of said mounting ring; a plurality of cylindrical electron collectors, one collector for each emitter, each of said collectors having a diameter approximately equal to that of said emitter, a central cylindrical aperture running longitudinally through said collector, a cladding of electrically conductive material, and a filling of neutron-moderating material; a plurality of cylindrical ceramic seal-insulators, one seal-insulator being disposed around the radial periphery of each collector; a plurality of rectangular, ridged, structural members, one member for each collector, and each member having a central cylindrical housing adapted for receiving said collector with the seal-insulator and for maintaining a rigid radial compressive contact therewith; a plurality of cylindrical electrically conductive envelopes, one envelope for each emitter, each envelope being of approximately the same inner diameter as said emitter disk, one end of said envelope enclosing said emitter disk in a gastight fit and the other end enclosing the cylindrical housing of said structural member in a gastight fit thus supporting said collector in a fixed spatial relationship with said emitter; and, plurality of reservoirs for a positive-ion plasma, one reservoir for each emitter, which is connected by a rigid tube to said central aperture of said collector.

Claim 3

A nuclear thermionic converter cell according to claim 3 wherein the fuel ring is composed of a matrix of uranium dioxide and tungsten and is clad by tungsten.

Claim 4

A nuclear thermionic converter cell according to claim No. 4 wherein the emitter is composed of tungsten and the collector is composed of beryllium oxide clad by molybdenum.

Claim 5

A nuclear thermionic converter cell according to claim No. 5 wherein the seal-insulator is composed of aluminum oxide.

Claim 6

A nuclear reactor comprising: an elongated central cylindrical neutron reflector; an annular heat shield surrounding said reflector; a plurality of a ring-shaped nuclear thermionic converter cells according to claim No. 3, said cells surrounding said heat shield and extending in a stacked array for the length of said reflector. electrically insulated means for rigidly fastening said structural members of adjacent cells together; electrical series connectors connecting the collectors of one cell with emitters of the adjacent cell; end reflectors at both ends of said central reflector; and, control means for regulating the reactivity of said reactor.

Claim 7

A nuclear reactor according to claim No. 7 wherein the nuclear thermionic converter cells are those claimed in claim No. 6.

Claim 8

A nuclear reactor according to claim No. 8 wherein the central cylindrical reflector is composed of pyrolytic graphite clad with tungsten and the heat shields are composed of tungsten and tantalum.

Claim 9

A nuclear reactor according to claim No. 9 wherein the height of a stacked array of nuclear thermionic converter cells is 91.5 centimeters.

Claim 10

A thermionic cell comprising: a disk-shaped electron emitter having an upper section with a smaller diameter than that of the lower section; A cylindrical electron collector having a lower cylindrical base with a diameter approximately equal to the upper sectional diameter of said disk-shaped emitter, an upper cylindrical section with a diameter less than that of said base, and a gas passageway extending along the longitudinal axis of said collectors; a plasma envelope whose lower portion encircles and encloses the lower section of said emitter in a gastight fit; a collector adapter ring fitting securely about a portion of the upper section of said collector; A rectangular structural member adapted for receiving said ring but being electrically insulated therefrom, and supported by the upper portion of said envelope whereby a fixed spatial relationship is maintained between the upper section of said emitter and the base of said collector; three ceramic seal rings encircling said collector with two metallic annular fins, each having one of its rims sandwiched and bonded therebetween, one fin having its remaining rim welded to said structural member and the other fin having its remaining rim welded to said collector; a plasma reservoir attached by a rigid tube to said plasma passageway; an electric series connector to provide an electric current flow path from said collector; a converter mounting ring adapted for mounting at least one of said disk shaped emitters thereon; and, a nuclear fuel ring enclosed by said mounting ring.

Claim 11

A nuclear thermionic cell comprising: a disk-shaped electron emitter having an upper section with a smaller diameter than that of the lower section; a cylindrical electron collector having a lower cylindrical base with a diameter approximately equal to the upper sectional diameter of said disk-shaped emitter, an upper cylindrical section with a diameter less than that of said base, a lip around said upper cylindrical section, a plurality of screw holes extending through said lip, and a gas passageway extending along the longitudinal axis of said collector; a plasma envelope whose lower portion encircles and encloses the lower section of said emitter in a gastight fit; a rectangular structural member supported by the upper portion of said envelope and having a central cylindrical aperture with a plurality of threaded sockets disposed thereabout; a plurality of screws securely fastening the lip of said collector to said rectangular structural member whereby a fixed spatial relationship is maintained between the upper section of said emitter and the lower base of said collector; electrical insulation for insulating said collector from said structural member; three ceramic seal rings disposed above said collector with two annular metallic fins, each having one of its rims sandwiched and bonded therebetween, one fin having its remaining rim welded to said structural member and the other fin having its remaining rim welded to said collectors; a plasma reservoir attached by a rigid tube to said plasma passageway; an electric series connector to provide an electric current flowpath from said collector; a converter mounting ring adapted for mounting at least one of said disk-shaped emitters thereon; and, a nuclear fuel ring enclosed by said mounting ring.