Numerical calculation of the temperature distribution along a tungsten filament cathode to explain its breakage near its negative terminal
Abstract
The temperature distribution along a tungsten straight filament used as an electron emitter and hot cathode in a gas discharge was numerically obtained by solving the power density balance equation. The results were able to verify that the portions of the filament near its negative terminal had a relatively higher temperature compared to the portions near the positive terminal. For a filament with a length of 9 cm, diameter of 0.5 mm, and electrically heated by 25 Amps of current, the simulation revealed that the highest temperature along the filament occurred at a distance of 1.2 cm away from the negative terminal, which explained why the filaments always broke near this location in the previous experimental findings.