vacuum converter

A vacuum converter is a type of thermionic power converter that converts heat directly into electricity. It uses two electrodes: a hot plate that emits electrons and a cooler collector that receives them. The space between these electrodes is a vacuum. To minimize the effects of space charge (repelling electrons), vacuum converters use a very small gap between the electrodes, typically 0.025 to 0.038 mm. While this design can achieve power outputs of 0.1 to 1 watt per square centimeter at 1,100 K, manufacturing these small gaps makes them difficult to produce and limits their practical application. A vacuometer, on the other hand, is an apparatus used to measure low pressures.12