Performance optimization of a field emission device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9384933-B2
Application number	US-201514634094-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 27, 2015
Priority date	Dec 29, 2011
Publication date	Jul 5, 2016
Grant date	Jul 5, 2016

Abstract

A field emission device is configured as a heat engine, and the performance of the device is optimized.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An apparatus comprising:
circuitry configured to receive a first signal corresponding to a heat engine, the heat engine including an anode, cathode, spacer region, gate and suppressor;
circuitry configured to process the first signal to determine a relative thermodynamic efficiency and a relative power output of the heat engine as a function of a gate electric potential;
circuitry configured to produce a second signal corresponding to a selected relative thermodynamic efficiency and a selected relative power output; and
circuitry configured to transmit the second signal.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the circuitry configured to produce the second signal includes:
circuitry configured to select a gate electric potential based on the selected relative thermodynamic efficiency; and
circuitry configured to produce the second signal corresponding to the selected gate electric potential.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein the selected relative thermodynamic efficiency is a maximum relative thermodynamic efficiency.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the circuitry configured to produce the second signal includes:
circuitry configured to select a gate electric potential based on the selected relative power output; and
circuitry configured to produce the second signal corresponding to the selected gate electric potential.

5. The apparatus of claim 4 wherein the selected relative power output is a maximum relative power output.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the circuitry configured to produce the second signal includes:
circuitry configured to select a range of gate electric potential, the range being defined by the selected relative thermodynamic efficiency and the selected relative power output; and
circuitry configured to produce the second signal corresponding to the selected range.

7. The apparatus of claim 6 wherein the selected relative thermodynamic efficiency is a maximum relative thermodynamic efficiency and wherein the selected relative power output is a maximum relative power output.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the circuitry configured to process the first signal includes:
circuitry configured to select a gate electric potential after determining the relative thermodynamic efficiency and the relative power output as a function of the gate electric potential; and
circuitry configured to determine the relative thermodynamic efficiency and the relative power output as a function of at least one of an anode electric potential and a suppressor electric potential for the selected gate electric potential.

9. An apparatus comprising:
circuitry configured to receive a first signal corresponding to a heat engine, the heat engine including an anode, cathode, spacer region, gate and suppressor;
circuitry configured to process the first signal to determine a relative thermodynamic efficiency and a relative power output of the heat engine as a function of a suppressor electric potential;
circuitry configured to produce a second signal corresponding to a selected relative thermodynamic efficiency and a selected relative power output; and
circuitry configured to transmit the second signal.

10. The apparatus of claim 9 wherein the circuitry configured to produce the second signal includes:
circuitry configured to select a suppressor electric potential based on the selected relative thermodynamic efficiency; and
circuitry configured to produce the second signal corresponding to the selected suppressor electric potential.

11. The apparatus of claim 10 wherein the selected relative thermodynamic efficiency is a maximum relative thermodynamic efficiency.

12. The apparatus of claim 9 wherein the circuitry configured to produce the second signal includes:
circuitry configured to select a suppressor electric potential based on the selected relative power output; and
circuitry configured to produce the second signal corresponding to the selected suppressor electric potential.

13. The apparatus of claim 12 wherein the selected relative power output is a maximum relative power output.

14. The apparatus of claim 9 wherein the circuitry configured to produce the second signal includes:
circuitry configured to select a range of suppressor electric potential, the range being defined by the selected relative thermodynamic efficiency and a selected relative power output; and
circuitry configured to produce the second signal corresponding to the selected range.

15. The apparatus of claim 14 wherein the selected relative thermodynamic efficiency is a maximum relative thermodynamic efficiency and wherein the selected relative power output is a maximum relative power output.

16. The apparatus of claim 9 wherein the circuitry configured to process the first signal includes:
circuitry configured to select a suppressor electric potential after determining the relative thermodynamic efficiency and the relative power output as a function of the suppressor electric potential; and
circuitry configured to determine the relative thermodynamic efficiency and the relative power output as a function of at least one of a gate electric potential and an anode electric potential for the selected suppressor electric potential.

17. A method, comprising:
receiving a first signal corresponding to a heat engine, the heat engine including an anode, cathode, spacer region, gate and suppressor;
processing the first signal to determine a performance characteristic of the heat engine;
producing a second signal corresponding to a selected value of the performance characteristic; and
transmitting the second signal.

18. The method of claim 17 wherein the performance characteristic is a relative thermodynamic efficiency.

19. The method of claim 17 wherein the performance characteristic is a relative power output.

20. A method of optimizing the performance of a heat engine, comprising:
determining substantially fixed parameters of the heat engine, the substantially fixed parameters including a cathode-gate separation, a suppressor-anode separation, and a cathode-anode separation;
calculating a first relative power output of the heat engine as a function of the substantially fixed parameters and as a function of a first set of values for variable parameters of the heat engine, the variable parameters including a cathode temperature, an anode temperature, an anode electric potential, a gate electric potential, and a suppressor electric potential;
calculating a second relative power output of the heat engine as a function of the substantially fixed parameters and as a function of a second set of values for the variable parameters, wherein at least one variable parameter has a different value in the first and second sets of values; and
setting the at least one variable parameter according to the calculated first and second relative power outputs.

21. The method of claim 20 wherein determining substantially fixed parameters of the heat engine includes measuring at least one substantially fixed parameter.

22. The method of claim 20 wherein determining substantially fixed parameters of the heat engine includes receiving an input signal including information about at least one substantially fixed parameter.

23. The method of claim 20 wherein determining substantially fixed parameters of the heat engine includes determining a cathode field enhancement factor.

24. The method of claim 20 wherein deter

Assignees

• Elwha Llc

Inventors

• Hyde Roderick A
• Kare Jordin T
• Myhrvold Nathan P
• Pan Tony S
• Wood Jr Lowell L

Classifications

• H01J29/02

  Electrodes; Screens; Mounting, supporting, spacing or insulating thereof · CPC title

• H01J1/48

  characterised by the material · CPC title

• H01J29/46

  Arrangements of electrodes and associated parts for generating or controlling the ray or beam, e.g. electron-optical arrangement {(transit time tubes H01J23/00, H01J25/00; X-ray tubes H01J35/00; beam tubes for examining ions, e.g. electron or ion microscopes, or processing of objects or materials, e.g. electron or ion beam tubes H01J37/04; electron multipliers H01J43/04; handling of radiation or particles, e.g. focusing, deviating, not otherwise provided for G21K1/00)} · CPC title

• H01J29/481

  Electron guns using field-emission, photo-emission, or secondary-emission electron source · CPC title

• H01J29/98 Primary

  Circuit arrangements not adapted to a particular application of the tube and not otherwise provided for · CPC title