Experimental evaluation of electrode conversion efficiency of alkali metal thermal to electric converter
✍ Scribed by Kotaro Tanaka
- Publisher
- John Wiley and Sons
- Year
- 2001
- Tongue
- English
- Weight
- 161 KB
- Volume
- 30
- Category
- Article
- ISSN
- 1099-2871
- DOI
- 10.1002/htj.1013
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✦ Synopsis
Abstract
The alkali metal thermal to electric converter (AMTEC) system which utilizes the sodium ion conductivity of a beta″‐alumina solid electrolyte (BASE) is expected to have high conversion efficiency above 30% including practical heat losses. However, the achieved experimental efficiencies have been around 15%. In this paper, current–voltage characteristics and heat and mass transfer processes on a single cell have been examined experimentally and thermal electrode conversion efficiency has been discussed. Measured electrode conversion efficiency without thermal losses showed that it was about 40% at a power density of 0.3 W/cm^2^. A theoretical analysis on the thermal losses has also been conducted and these losses are estimated to be 0.3 W/cm^2^ in a practical tube type cell, so that an actual cell system efficiency of 30% is expected. © 2001 Scripta Technica, Heat Trans Asian Res, 30(3): 234–244, 2001