Abstract:
Low temperature radioisotopic thermionic converter having a construction wherein the converter adsorption area to vapor volume ratio is sufficiently high at the converter''s operating pressure to achieve an area-dominated adsorption effect structure, is processed by first refluxing cesium at high collector temperature and high vapor pressure in the converter to purge remanent reactive impurities therein and then establishing the loci of converter maximum power versus cesium reservoir temperature for respectively different collector temperatures to allow adjustment of the converter at optimum cesium pressure and optimum collector temperature before sealing. Cesiation apparatus for batch-charging of a plurality of converters from a common cesium supply source includes a heated cesium reservoir container for enclosing the converters therein, and a collector heater, emitter and collector connection leads, and a means of sealing each converter at each converter position.