Computer study of the energy characteristics of thermionic electrical generating cells and assemblies

A computer algorithm for calculating the volt-ampere characteristics of thermionic electrical generating cells and assemblies with a mean current density of $5$–$15$ A/cm$^2$ is described, and some typical results are presented. For efficient assemblies the mean power densities in a cell of this kind are approximately one third lower than the power of a thermionic converter at the same emitter temperature. The nonuniformity coefficients of the fundamental parameters of a cell and an assembly are presented.