May 1960 Radio-Electronics
[Table of Contents]
Wax nostalgic about and learn from the history of early electronics.
See articles from Radio-Electronics,
published 1930-1988. All copyrights hereby acknowledged.
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When this "Four New Sources
of Power" article appeared in Radio-Electronics magazine in 1960, most people had
never heard of a fuel cell, the Seebeck effect, thermionic effects, or magnetohydrodynamics.
All had been around as features embedded in common products in some manner, like
thermionics in vacuum tubes. It is pointed out that Sir Humphrey
Davy invented the fuel cell technique in 1802, thermoelectricity
by Thomas Seebeck in 1821,
thermionic effects by Thomas Edison in 1878, and
magnetohydrodynamics by Michael Faraday in 1831.
Today, all four types of power sources have been integrated into a host of
products. Whereas thermionics was among the most common in 1960, it might be the
least common of the four nowadays.
Four New Sources of Power
Some - or maybe a great deal - of our future
electric power may be generated by one of the unconventional means shown on this
page. This was the theme of a recent demonstration at the Westinghouse Research
Laboratories.
Basically, it was pointed
out, the ideas are not new-their application to power production is. The fuel cell
dates back to Sir Humphrey Davy in 1802, thermoelectricity to Seebeck in 1821, and
thermionic effects to Edison in 1878 and magnetohydrodynamics to Faraday in 1831.
The devices that were demonstrated produced direct current at potentials ranging
from a fraction of a volt to about 30 volts, and powers from 0.2 watt to 5 kilowatts.
At present all are highly experimental, and electricity produced by them is far
more costly than by conventional methods. But even now one or another of these generators
may be economic for certain applications, such as those in which noise or vibration
cannot be tolerated, or for use in remote areas (the Russians sell a kerosene-powered
thermoelectric generator to operate a radio in remote areas).
Within a few years, it is expected that
the power available from devices using these techniques will be vastly increased,
with possibly a corresponding drop in initial cost and fuel expense.
In the fuel cell at A, carbon and oxygen
or air are consumed in a high-temperature furnace (about 800°C) to produce electricity.
Such cells may be capable of producing 2 kw per cubic foot of cell (excluding surrounding
furnace). In the thermionic converter (B), a vacuum-tube cathode (filament) at high
temperature emits electrons which are collected at the anode and do useful work
passing through a load to the cathode. This unit produced small amounts of power
at 3-volts - lit a pilot lamp brightly and turned a tiny fan. The tube is a "soft"
type, containing cesium gas.
This magnetohydrodynamic generator (see
Radio-Electronics,
January, 1960, page 8) blasts ionized gas through a magnetic field at velocities
from 1,000 to 2,000 miles per hour to generate current. The generator shown (C)
produces about 1 watt - a larger unit demonstrated at the same time was capable
of 5-kw output. The thermoelectric generator at D consists of a large number of
thermocouples, uses propane gas for heating. It produces 100 watts. A 1,000-watt
unit-powered by nuclear fuel-is under construction.
Thermionics - Thomas Edison was an American
inventor and businessman born in 1847 and died in 1931. He is widely regarded as
one of the most prolific inventors in history, and is best known for his development
of the practical incandescent light bulb. Edison's work in electrical power generation
and distribution systems, as well as his inventions in fields such as telegraphy,
phonography, and motion pictures, had a profound impact on the world and helped
to shape the modern era. He is often referred to as the "Wizard of Menlo Park" in
reference to his laboratory in New Jersey, where he developed many of his most important
inventions. In addition to his inventions, Edison was also a savvy businessman,
and he held over 1,000 patents for his inventions. He was a tireless worker, who
spent long hours in his laboratory and was known for his ingenuity and perseverance.
Edison's contributions to science and technology continue to be celebrated today,
and he remains an inspiration to inventors and entrepreneurs around the world.
Thermionics is a subfield of electronics that deals with the study and application
of thermally-generated electrons and their behavior in vacuum tubes and solid-state
devices. It involves the generation, control, and measurement of the flow of electrons
in vacuum tubes and other devices that rely on thermionic emission. The study of
thermionics is important in the design and development of vacuum tube electronics,
such as amplifiers, oscillators, and rectifiers, as well as in the development of
thermionic power generation systems.
Seebeck Effect - Thomas Johann Seebeck was
a physicist and mathematician from Estonia who was born in 1770 and died in 1831.
He is best known for the discovery of the Seebeck effect, which is now known as
thermoelectricity or thermoelectric effect. The Seebeck effect is the generation
of a voltage difference in a conductor as a result of a temperature difference between
its two ends. Seebeck discovered this phenomenon while conducting experiments on
the relationship between temperature and electromotive force. His work laid the
foundation for the development of thermoelectric devices, such as thermocouples
and thermoelectric generators, which are used to convert heat into electrical energy
or to measure temperature differences. Today, Seebeck's discovery is widely recognized
as a major milestone in the field of thermoelectricity, and his name is remembered
as one of the pioneers of this field of study.
The Seebeck effect is a thermoelectric phenomenon that describes the generation
of a voltage difference in a conductor as a result of a temperature difference between
its two ends. It is named after Thomas Seebeck, who first discovered the effect
in 1821. The Seebeck effect occurs in any material that has a temperature-dependent
electrical conductivity, and is the basis for the operation of thermoelectric devices,
such as thermocouples and thermoelectric generators. In thermoelectric devices,
the Seebeck effect is used to convert heat into electrical energy, or to measure
temperature differences by detecting the voltage difference generated by the Seebeck
effect. The magnitude of the voltage generated is proportional to the temperature
difference, making the Seebeck effect a useful tool for temperature sensing and
measurement.
Fuel Cell - Sir Humphrey Davy was a British chemist
and inventor born in 1778. He is best known for his pioneering work in the field
of electrochemistry, and for his discovery of several chemical elements, including
sodium and potassium. Davy was also a renowned inventor and is credited with inventing
the first electric lamp, known as the Davy lamp, which was used in coal mines to
provide a safe source of light. He was a prolific writer and his work "Elements
of Chemical Philosophy" was a major contribution to the understanding of the science
of chemistry. Davy was a fellow of the Royal Society, and was awarded several honors
and awards throughout his lifetime, including being knighted by King George IV in
1812. He died in 1829 and is remembered today as one of the greatest scientists
of his time.
A fuel cell is a type of energy conversion device that converts the energy from
a chemical reaction into electrical energy. It operates by bringing a fuel, such
as hydrogen, and an oxidant, such as oxygen, into close proximity, allowing them
to react together to generate an electrical current. Unlike batteries, fuel cells
do not store energy, but instead generate electrical energy continuously as long
as the fuel and oxidant are supplied. Fuel cells are highly efficient, with little
waste heat, and are considered a clean source of energy because the only byproduct
of their reaction is water. Fuel cells are used in a variety of applications, including
powering vehicles, providing backup power, and generating electricity for residential
and commercial use. There are several types of fuel cells, each with unique features
and applications, including proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs), solid
oxide fuel cells (SOFCs), and phosphoric acid fuel cells (PAFCs).
Magnetohydrodynamics - Michael
Faraday was an English scientist born in 1791 and died in 1867. He was a pioneering
physicist and chemist, who made important contributions to the fields of electromagnetism
and electrochemistry. Faraday is best known for his discovery of electromagnetic
induction, which showed that a changing magnetic field can induce an electric current
in a conductor, and for his laws of electrolysis, which describe the relationships
between electric current, chemical reaction, and electrochemical equivalents. Faraday's
work laid the foundation for the development of many important technologies, including
the electric motor, the transformer, and the dynamo. Faraday was a self-taught scientist
and made his discoveries through a combination of meticulous experimentation and
a deep understanding of the underlying physical principles. He was a devout Christian
and was known for his clear explanations of scientific concepts, which made his
ideas accessible to a wide audience. Faraday is remembered as one of the greatest
scientists of all time and his work continues to shape our understanding of the
natural world.
Magnetohydrodynamics (MHD) is a branch of physics that studies the behavior of
electrically conducting fluids in the presence of magnetic fields. It encompasses
the interplay between the magnetic forces and the fluid dynamics, and is relevant
to many areas of science and engineering, including plasma physics, astrophysics,
geophysics, and fusion energy research. In MHD, the motion of the fluid is coupled
to the magnetic field, leading to complex interactions and phenomena, such as magnetic
reconnection, Alfvén waves, and the Parker spiral in the solar wind. MHD is also
used to model and understand the behavior of plasmas in fusion reactors, where high
temperatures and pressures are used to generate fusion reactions between light elements.
The principles of MHD have a wide range of applications, including the design and
operation of fusion reactors, the study of space plasmas, and the understanding
of geomagnetic processes in the Earth's core.
Posted February 8, 2023
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