Some developments in direct nuclear energy conversion: Neutron flux dependence of the fission electric cell output parameters

Abstract

The output parameters of different types of vacuum (VAFEC) and gas filled (GAFEC) fission electric cells (FECs) have been measured during their irradiation in the nuclear reactor of the Central Institute of Physics in Bucharest, Romania, at different thermal neutron flux (ϕnth) values in the 108…1012 neutrons/cm2 s range. These measurements allowed us to estimate to what degree the FEC output parameters depend on the ϕnth variation and pointed out the differences in the operation of the VAFEC and GAFEC‐type devices. The main results for some of the tested FECs are presented.

Meta-material based nuclear structure applications in beamed thrust and space energy harvesting

“…As a novelty for its time it considers the multipactor effect and uses it to amplify the current by a combination of suppressor grids, material coatings and voltages, creating a kind of synergy [25]. The output parameters of different types of fission electric cells have been measured during their irradiation in the nuclear reactor of the Central Institute of Physics in Bucharest, Romania [26]), at different thermal neutron flux values in the 10 8 -10 12 neutrons/cm2 s range. These measurements allowed an estimate to what degree the output parameters depend on the nth variation and pointed out the differences in the operation between gas and vacuum filled devices.…”

Estimated output parameters at high neutron flux values for an experimental fission electric cell

“…It should be emphasized that the characteristics of the energy spectrum of the particles emitted during the fission process have been considered in the calculation of K. For a given FEC, operating in the current generator mode and delivering to a given load resistance, the following conditions are fulfilled: We have experimentally demonstrated in a previous paper [3] that, for the vacuum FEC (VAFEC), the values of the FEC characteristic parameters (J, and Uoc) increase proportionally to the values of the irradiation neutron flux $,,. These experimental results allowed us to estimate that, for the case in which the VAFEC operates in the current generator mode, the FEC output parameters show the same variation with 4,, in the range of the neutron fluxes considered.…”

A potential fission electric cell for space reactors

“…The researches undertaken in the Central Institute of Physics (CIP) in Bucharest concerning the possibility to obtain some significant power in the processes of direct nuclear fission energy conversion into electrical energy allowed us to get some fundamental information on the fission fragments' transport, the part played by the electron secondary emission, as well as the importance of the geometrical factor in the fission electric cell (FEC) operation (Ursu et al, 1978;Ursu et al, 1983;Ursu et al, 1985). The information made it possible to better distinguish the mechanism of the fission fragment collection from the other mechanisms which act negatively on the FEC parameters.…”