Performance of Single Cells of an Alkali Metal Thermoelectric Converter

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Abstract
The alkali metal thermoelectric converter (AMTEC) is a heat engine which converts heat directly into electricity. The work described in this paper deals with the development of electrodes, current collectors, metal/ceramic joinings, and with the design and operation of practical AMTEC cells. Some of the main results are: (i) Maximum power densities for electrodes with an area of 30 cm2 reached 0.4 W/cm2 (=4 kW/m2) at 800°C. For large electrodes of 100 cm2 area, a power density of 0.25 W/cm2 (=2.5 kW/m2) could be obtained. The difference between smaller and larger electrodes is due to the nonoptimized current collector. (ii) Lifetime of cells reached 500 h at 800°C without degradation of the ceramic and metallic components. This has been achieved by optimizing of joining and feedthrough. (iii) The optimum electrode thickness was determined to be about 1 μm for Mo and 5 μm for . A new electrode material, , showed higher power densities than well‐known Mo and . (iv) New methods for applying current collectors to the electrode have been developed which have a high potential of economic mass production.

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