ANALYTICAL CHARACTERIZATION OF TEST CELLS AND OPTIMIZATION USING MIXED VAPORS

BY USE OF CESIUM-OXYGEN MIXED VAPORS (CS/O) IT MAY BE POSIBLE TO AS MUCH AS DOUBLE THE OUTPUT POWER AND EFFICIENCY OF THERMIONIC FUEL ELEMENTS AND THE ASSOCIATED SPACE NUCLEAR POWER SYSTEMS. IN PHASE I OF THIS RESEARCH, THE ELECTRICAL AND THERMAL OPERATING CHARACTERISTICS OF THE USSR TOPAZ CORE-LENGTH TFES AND SIMILAR US TFE DESIGNS ARE ANALYTICALLY MODELED USING THE TECMDL COMPUTER PROGRAM. THIS MODEL, TOGETHER WITH THE COAD CS/O COADSORPTION COMPUTER PROGRAM, IS USED TO EVALUATE THE POTENTIAL IMPROVEMENT IN TFE PERFORMANCE BY USE OF CS/O. A CS/O SOURCE IS DESIGNED FOR PROOF-OF-PRINCIPLE TFE TESTS IN PHASE II.