Thermal-to-electrical energy conversion on the bases of thermal field electron emission phenomenon

Abstract

New thermal field electron emission energy conversion method for vacuum electron-optical systems (EOS) with a nanostructured surface electron sources is offered and developed. Physical and numerical modeling of an electron emission and transport processes for different EOS is carried out. It is shown that at the specific configuration of electrostatic and magnetic fields in the EOS offered method permits to design high efficiency energy conversion devices. Studies have shown that nano- and microstructured field emission systems can be used to design and create stand-alone devices converting environmental thermal energy (T~300K) into electrical energy.