Jasper JAMES
Thermionic-Thermoelectric Generator
TeslaTech 2019
The
Peculiar Machine of Jasper james
by Moray B King
There is as little known energy device, runored to ghave been
used by teh govbernment, which manifested a spectacular 20
kilowatt output from a pair of "thermionic" cylindrical tubes.
The stainless steel stuber were 22 inches long and only 4 inches
in diamerter. The inventor, Jasper L. James, died shortly after
filing his patent in 1981, but the patent,
Thermionic-Thermoelectric Generator System and Apparatus, USP
4368416, was stillissued in 1983. What is peculiar is that the
explanation in the patent completely violates thermodynamics on
a number of points, yet the patent was granted because the
device actually worked -- perhaps too well.
What did make sense in the patent was the switching circuit,
which offered a clue to the correct explanation for the device.
The output from each hot tube was switched to charge an
associated external capacitor via a large pulse. The thermionic
tube operates at the "pulsed abnormnal c=discharge" region,
discovered by Paulo and Alexandra Correa ( USP 5449989 ), to
manifest a negative resistance characteristic and excess energy
production...
US4368416
Thermionic-thermoelectric
generator system and apparatus
JAMES JASPER L
Apparatus is disclosed including a compact thermionic generator
formed with an outer cathode cylinder and an axially concentric
inner anode cylinder. The cylinders are sealed and evacuated and
provided with external electrical connections leading to the
cathode and anode cylinders. A thermoelectric generator formed
of a folded length of thermocouples is nested within the anode
cylinder with respective ends thermically and electrically
coupled to the cathode and anode cylinders. Sufficient heat
applied to the outer cylinder causes the thermionic emission
from the cathode to anode cylinders to be enhanced by the
positive potential applied to the anode cylinder from the
internal thermoelectric generator which is also responsive to
the applied heat to generate the positive potential relative to
the potential of the cathode cylinder. A generator system is
also disclosed in which a pair of these generators is
interconnected by a solid state switching circuit to an output
load via intermediate charging capacitors.
BACKGROUND
OF INVENTION
This invention relates to a combination
thermionic-thermoelectric generator and more particularly to an
apparatus and system which provides improved performance over
prior known apparatus of this general type.
Thermionic and thermoelectric generators are well known in the
art to be capable of generating electric currents by the
application of heat to the devices. In the case of thermionic
generators, current is created by the emission of electrons from
a surface which has been heated sufficiently to allow the
electron energy to overcome the potential barrier energy level
of the surface. The basic theory of thermionic energy conversion
is discussed in U.S. Pat. No. 2,980,819--Feaster issued Apr. 18,
1961. One difficulty known to exist with converters of this type
is the relatively low usuable potential that can be developed
unless a relatively large number of converters are cascaded in
series with consequent increase in bulk and cost. Also,
converters that give usuable current levels generally require
extremely close interelectrode spacing between the emitters and
collector electrodes, generally on the order of one millimeter.
The difficulty in achieving and maintaining such close spacing,
particularly at the high temperatures, e.g. 1200 DEG C. required
to have usable electron emission, has limited the commercial
usefulness of thermionic converters to highly specialized
applications.
Thermoelectric converters, comprising a series of thermocouples,
are also well known. In this device a current is generated by
electron flow at the interface between the abutting surfaces of
dissimilar materials maintained at different temperatures. By
cascading a large number of these thermocouples, a thermopile
can be produced which generates usable potential levels limited,
in general, only by the practical length of the thermopile.
In the past, a number of combined thermionic and thermoelectric
generators have been proposed in which the two types of devices
are packaged together and electrically connected at a common
therminal so that the heat applied to the package causes both
generators to develop current outputs, usually at separate
output terminals. Examples of such devices are shown and
described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,189,765 and 3,430,079 issued June
15, 1965, and Feb. 25, 1969, respectively.
Despite the prior art which exists in this technology, it is
believed that heretofore there has not existed a small, compack
thermionic-thermoelectric generator apparatus capable of
producing usable levels of current at usable potential levels.
It is an object of this invention to provide a system embodying
the improved apparatus with suitable switching circuits to
furnish electrical current at usable potential levels to a load
impedance.
SUMMARY OF
THE INVENTION
Thus in accordance with one aspect of the invention, there is
provided thermionic-thermoelectric generator apparatus
comprising a first elongated metallic cylindrical electrode
having its internal surface coated with a thermionic electron
emmissive material and a second elongated metallic cylindrical
electrode nested coaxially within the first cylinder electrode,
this second cylinder having at least the outer surface thereof
coated with graphite to serve as a collector electrode for the
electrons emitted from the first cylinder surface. Preferably
the interelectrode spacing between the two cylinders is
substantially uniform along the axial length thereof. The
apparatus is further provided with a plurality ofthermopiles
nested within the second cylinder, the thermopiles being
electrically connected in series with one end consisting of
electron donor material electrically coupled to the first
cylinder, the other end consisting of electron acceptor material
being electrically coupled to the second or inner cylinder.
Means, such as sealable vacuum fittings are provided by which
the outer cylinder may be evacuated and the vacuum maintained in
the interelectrode space between the two cylinders. Means are
also provided , such as at the end of the cylinders opposite the
vacuum fitting, to provide external electrical connections from
the cylinder electrodes to a load circuit.
In the system of the invention, there is also included, with a
pair of generators such as just described, circuit means for
coupling in repetitive alternating sequence, each of the
generators to output load terminals to provide a continuous
electrical current flow to a load impedance connected to the
load terminals.
BRIEF
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a
general perspective view of the generator apparatus of the
present invention.
FIG. 2 is a
side view in partial section showing the details of the
apparatus of the invention.
FIG. 3 is a
perspective view showing the thermopile construction used in
the FIG. 2 apparatus.
FIG. 4 is
an exploded perspective view of the interior cylinder and
thermopile support of the FIG. 2 apparatus.
FIG. 5 is a
cross-sectional side view showing details of the connection
terminals for the FIG. 1 apparatus.
FIG. 6 is a
schematic circuit diagram illustrating a timing and current
switching circuit useful in one form of the present invention.
DETAILED
DESCRIPTION
Referring jointly to FIGS. 1-5,the thermionic-thermoelectric
generator apparatus 10 includes a first or outer cylinder 11,
preferably of stainless steel, enclosed at one end by an end cap
12 and suitable vacuum fittings 13 and at the other end by an
end cap 14 having an elongated output terminal electrode 15
sealed at the distal end by a ceramic seal and the extension 17a
of interior terminal electrode 17. As best seen in FIG. 2, the
generator apparatus comprises first outer cylinder 11 in which
is nested, in coaxial manner, a second or inner cylinder 20,
preferably also of stainless steel. As seen in the drawings, the
righthand end of cylinder 20 is supported by four L-shaped
aluminum oxide mounts 21 attached to stainless steel blocks 22
which in turn are secured in suitable manner to the interior
face of end cap 12. The interior surface 11a of the outer
cylinder 11 is coated in well known manner with a suitable
thermionic electron emissive material such as a mixture of
barium oxide, strontium oxide and calcium oxide, mixed in the
ratio of 1:1:1 by weight. The outer surface 20a of inner
cylinder 20 is coated in known manner with graphite to serve as
a collector of electrons emitted from outer cylinder surface
11a.
Nested within inner cylinder 20 is a thermopile assembly best
seen in FIGS. 3 and 4 and comprised of a plurality, in this case
four, thermopile sections 30a, 30b, 30c, 30d, each of which
consists of approximately 380 thermocouples formed of thin
wafers of carbon and silicon carbide in alternating sequence.
The sections are electrically connected in series by tungsten
connectors 31. One end 32 of the thermopile series, formed of a
wafer of the electron donor material silicon carbide is adhered
to a stainless steel block 33. The other end 34 of the
thermopile series formed of a wafer of electron acceptor
material carbon is attached to a stainless steel block 35 to
which is attached an electode rod 36 of stainless steel. The
thermopile sections 30a-30d are positioned snugly within
recesses of a ceramic extruded cruciform shaped insulator
support 37 (best seen in FIG. 4) and thereafter the tungsten
connectors 31 are attached. Ceramic end caps 38 and 39 are
positioned at the ends of the cruciform thermocouple assembly
and the entire assembly is then placed inside a ceramic housing
40 which is closed at one end 41. The housing 40 is then placed
inside inner cylinder 20. Preferably, the cross-sectional
diagonal dimension of housing 40 is the same as the inner
diameter of cylinder 20 so that the housing is properly
supported and held in place within cylinder 20. A stainless
steel end cap 45 is placed over the end of housing 40 so as to
touch thermopile terminal block 33 and secured to the end of
inner cylinder 20 to provide electrical coupling between the end
of the thermopile and cylinder 20. Electrode rod 36, extends
through an opening 46 suitably provided in end cap 45 and
touches end cap 14 of outer cylinder 11 so as to provide
electrical electrical coupling from the other end of the
thermopile 30 to the outer cylinder 11 which comprises the
cathode of the generator.
An elongated electrically conductive stainless steel rod 17
extends axially outward from inner cylinder end cap 45 and
serves as the positive connection for the generator. Rod 17
extends concentrically through an outer tube 15 and secured by a
suitable collar fitting to extension rod 17a which projects
through ceramic seal fitting 16. Rod 17a ends in a terminal
connector 17b which serves as the positive terminal of the
generator 10 while tube 15 ends with an electrical connector 15a
which serves as the negative terminal of the generator 10.
In an actually constructed and operated device, the length of
cylinder 11 is 22 inches long and 4 inches in outer diameter.
The inner cylinder 20 is 16 inches in length and 3 inches in
diameter. Both cylinders are made of stainless steel, the inner
cylinder 20 being 16 gauge while outer cylinder 11 is 0.237
inches thick. The thermopile consists of 380 junctions of
silicon carbide and carbon. Any suitable heat source capable of
heating the generator to temperatures of 400 DEG-450 DEG C. may
be used to operate the generator.
Referring now to FIG. 6, a suitable switching and control
circuit is shown for use in a system of the invention utilizing
a pair of the thermionic-thermoelectric generators 10 and 10' as
described above. Thus, the circuit of FIG. 6 includes a timer
circuit 60 of the well known 555 integrated circuit type
operated in the astable mode at a frequency of, for example, 400
Hz., as determined principally by the value of resistors 61-64
and the value of capacitor 65. The output of timer 60 is coupled
by line 60a to the input of J-K flip-flop 68 to cause the output
states on line 68a and 68b to reverse at the aforementioned 400
Hz. rate. A pair of Darlington connected transistors 70 and 80
are alternately biased into conduction by flip-flop 68 causing
SCR 79 and 89, respectively, to be triggered into conduction.
When, for example, SCR 89 is conducting, the current output of
generator 10 is coupled to charging capacitor 96. At this time,
SCR 79 is off and charging capacitor 94 is isolated from
generator 10'.
The circuit further includes transistors 75 and 85, the outputs
of which are cross-coupled to opposite branches of the balanced
switching circuit including SCR 79 and current transistor 90 in
one branch and SCR 89 and current transistor 92 in the other
branch. In this manner, when Darlington transistor 80 has
triggered SCR 89 into conduction to couple generator 10 to
charging capacitor 96, the output of transistor 85 causes
transistor 90 to conduct resulting in coupling of current from
previously charged capacitor 94 to output terminals 87, 98 and
through load 100. When flip-flop 68 switches state, the sequence
is reversed and generator 10' is coupled to charging capacitor
94 through SCR 79 and transistor 92 is pulled into conduction to
couple charging capacitor 96 to output terminals 97, 98 and load
100.
By way of example and without limitation thereto, the following
circuit values were used in an actually constructed embodiment
of the invention, viz:
Resistors 78, 88 100 Ohms, 1 W.
Resistors 77, 87 27 Ohms, 1 W.
Resistors 74, 84 470 Ohms
Resistors 73, 83 39K Ohms
Resistors 72, 82 8K Ohms
Resistors 71, 81 1 Megohm
Resistors 61, 63 1 Megohm
Resistors 62, 64 10K Ohms
Capacitors 94, 96
GE Dielektrol, 25KVAR 240 g
Capacitor 67 .01 mf
Capacitor 65 1.0 mf
Transistors 90, 92
GE ZJ-499
Transistors 75, 85
GED40D8
Darlington Transistors
70, 80 ECG 268
Diodes 69a, b, c and d
1R5333A
Diodes 101a, b, c and d
1R350
Diode 102 1N914
Zener Diodes 76, 86
2.5v, 1W - ECG 5062A
SCR 79, 89 GE C230C
Flip-flop 68 4027 Cos/Mos - Dual J-K
(Radio Shack)
Timer 60 555 (Radio Shack)
Vbb@66 12 v.
With generator apparatus 10 as described, it will be appreciated
that the generator system of the invention is compact and
efficient in operation. Using the thermopile nested within the
inner cylinder 20 to operate from the same heat source as used
for the thermionic converter stage to apply a positive potential
to the collector cylinder 20 allows greater interelectrode
spacing to be used between cylinders 11 and 20 and provides high
currents at usable potential levels. For example, with the
generator system as described, currents of 200 amps at 108 volts
are possible when the generators are heated only to 400 DEG-450
DEG C., assuming 380 thermocouple junctions in each of the
thermopile sections 30a-30d. Since the system is compact,
portable and requires low temperatures available from
conventional heat sources to operate, it can be installed for
use in, for example, electrically powered vehicles without the
limitations associated with electric storage batteries. It can
also readily be used as a source of electric power for
residential purposes of as a back-up power source for emergency
facilities such as hospitals.
While there has been described what at present is believed to be
one preferred embodiment of the invention, it will be
appreciated that modifications therein can be made by those
skilled in the art without departing from the spirit of the
invention and it is intended that all such modifications are to
be covered as are within the scope of the appended claims.