Abstract
This paper presents the modeling efforts undertaken to develop a computer code that is able to perform coupled thermal-hydraulic and thermionic analysis for both single and multicell Thermionic Fuel Elements (TFE). The code developed, given the name MCTFE (for multicell themionic fuel element), is a steady-state finite element code specifically designed to analyze cylindrical TFEs. It employs an iterative successive-over-relaxation solution technique to solve for the temperatures throughout the TEE and a coupled thermionic routine to determine the total TFE performance. The calculated results include: the temperature distributions in all regions of the TEE, the axial interelectrode voltages and current densities, and total TFE electrical output parameters including power, current and voltage. MCTFE generated results are presented that compare experimental data from the single cell Topaz-I1 type TFE and multicell data from the General Atomics 3H5 TEE in order to benchmark the accuracy of the code methods.
| Original language | English |
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| Pages | 446-451 |
| Number of pages | 6 |
| State | Published - 1994 |
| Event | Intersociety Energy Conversion Engineering Conference, 1994 - Monterey, United States Duration: Aug 7 1994 → Aug 12 1994 |
Conference
| Conference | Intersociety Energy Conversion Engineering Conference, 1994 |
|---|---|
| Country/Territory | United States |
| City | Monterey |
| Period | 08/7/94 → 08/12/94 |