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Multiphysics Simulation: An IEEE Spectrum Insert
Manager’s Guide
From Nanoantennas to Deep Space Satellites, Electron Emission Enables Efficient Power Generation
Pierfrancesco Zilio, IIT, ItalyResearchers from the Italian Institute of Technology (IIT) and the European Space Agency (ESA) are developing power generation systems based on electron emission, with potential applications in devices meant for outer space or intended to reside within the human body.
Several studies were conducted using the COMSOL Multiphysics® software to study the combination of photon-enhanced thermionic emission (PETE) cells, a power-generating device in which a thermally-induced flow of charge releases electrons from a heated semiconductor.
Schematic of a PETE. Electrons escape the cathode due to light (shone on the semiconductor) and heat (due to an electrical load). Space charge buildup occurs due to electrons getting "stuck" in the vacuum gap as they repel each other during travel to the anode.
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- IIT_MS_2016.pdf - 1.18MB