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DIRECT CONVERSION OF NUCLEAR FISSION ENERGY INTO ELECTRICAL ENERGY

K. H. Beckurts, K. Schretzmann

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Abstract

Various principles, technical mechanisms, present state of development, and future prospects for the direct conversion of nuclear fission energy into electrical energy are described in detail. The three most promising processes for the direct conversion of heat into electricity are presentiy the thermoelement, the thermionic converter, and the magneto-hydrodynamic (MHD) generator. In the case of thermoelements special conversion devices using semiconductor elements are already being applied. Thermionic converters have predominantly utilized up to now the mech anism of the vacuum diode. In the MHD conversion method the fission energy is used to heat a gas which is subsequently expanded in the presence of a magnetic field. (P.C.H.)

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What this paper is about

Various principles, technical mechanisms, present state of development, and future prospects for the direct conversion of nuclear fission energy into electrical energy are described in detail. The three most promising processes for the direct conversion of heat into electricity are presentiy the thermoelement, the thermionic converter, and the magneto-hydrodynamic (MHD) generator. In the case of thermoelements special conversion devices using semiconductor elements are already being applied. Thermionic converters have predominantly utilized up to now the mech anism of the vacuum diode. In the MHD conversion method the fission energy is used to heat a gas which is subsequently expanded in the presence of a magnetic field. (P.C.H.)

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Available abstract

Various principles, technical mechanisms, present state of development, and future prospects for the direct conversion of nuclear fission energy into electrical energy are described in detail. The three most promising processes for the direct conversion of heat into electricity are presentiy the thermoelement, the thermionic converter, and the magneto-hydrodynamic (MHD) generator. In the case of thermoelements special conversion devices using semiconductor elements are already being applied. Thermionic converters have predominantly utilized up to now the mech anism of the vacuum diode. In the MHD conversion method the fission energy is used to heat a gas which is subsequently expanded in the presence of a magnetic field. (P.C.H.)

Key concepts: Direct energy conversion, Energy transformation, Thermionic emission, Nuclear engineering, Nuclear fission, Converters, Fission, Materials science

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