THERMIONIC TRANSDUCER BUILT INTO THE STRUCTURE OF HIGH-SPEED AIRCRAFTS Russian patent published in 2019 - IPC H01J45/00 B64C99/00 

FIELD: physics.

SUBSTANCE: invention relates to the field of thermionic conversion of heat energy into electrical energy, namely to thermionic transducers (TIT), which can be used in thermal protection systems and onboard electric power sources of hypersonic aircrafts (HAC). Purpose of this TIT is to generate electric power combined with efficient cooling of HAC structural elements, such as leading edges of wings, steering surfaces etc. Thermionic converter built into the high-speed aircraft structure includes the emitter and the collector arranged in the form of pipes and sealed on both sides and arranged inside the collector at their mutual electric and thermal decoupling. External surface of the emitter pipe has a heat-resistant coating, for example molybdenum disilicide. Collector pipe is equipped with one or more current collectors and one or more inlet / outlet branch pipes of the collector cooling circuit. Current leads and branch pipes are connected to the lateral surface of the collector pipe, are located within the limits of one semicircle and are equipped with the sealed leads, respectively. Note here that every sealed lead comprises cermet and bellows assemblies. As heat carrier in cooling circuit of collector there can be used fuel of aircraft engine, at that for matching of allowable temperature of this fuel with temperature of collector inner surface of collector is equipped with heat-insulating material. Cooling circuit of the collector can be made in the form of evaporation section of the T-shaped heat pipe.

EFFECT: higher reliability of thermal protection and onboard HAC electric power sources.

6 cl, 2 dwg