Graphene-anode thermionic converter demonstrating total photon reflection

An updated thermionic converter was established through the introduction of a graphene anode and an optical reflector, significantly decreasing the irreversible losses inside the device and enhancing the device performances. At 1940 K, the maximum efficiency and power output density of the converter reached 76.6 % and 95.1 W c m − 2. The optimum performances of the proposed model were obviously better than those achieved using a graphene-anode thermionic converter without a reflector and a traditional thermionic converter with a metal anode. Importantly, the optimal regions of the key parameters were determined for the different temperatures of the heat source and the parametric selection criteria and design strategies for the proposed model are also provided. These are extremely important as they may facilitate the implementation of the device.