The effect of staging on the performance of thermionic converters

A THERMIONIC CONVERTER is, in the thermodynamic sense, a heat engine that receives heat at a high temperature, rejects heat at a lower temperature, and delivers electric power. Detailed analyses of thermionic converters have been given in the past by many authors.
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‾5 The present paper deals with the effect of staging on the efficiency of thermionic engines, that is, the effect of operating several thermionic stages thermally connected in series between two heat reservoirs at given temperatures.