| 摘要 |
A high-efficiency thermionic energy converter comprises a multilayer vacuum diode, the layers of which are very thin and the intermediate spaces between the layers are several nanometers thick. The layers are held at a distance from each other by arranging insulator elements embedded in the layers. One of the intermediate spaces is provided with a thin, open conductive elastic foam plate which fills the spaces possibly occurring due to deformation of an upper electrode. On the cold side the distance between the layers must be so small that here the thermionically generated current is increased by tunneling of electrons from layer to layer. The partial efficiency per layer is as optimal as possible by means of the choice of the geometry and the material. For the purpose of pumping heat from for instance the thick electrode to the other thick electrode of the converter, or vice versa, in accordance with the Peltier effect, a current is conducted through the converter which is increased by tunneling of electrons. Cooling or heating takes place subject to the current direction. |
