Back to results
US 10,007,077 B2Granted
Direct impingement cooling of fibers
AssigneeBAE Systems Information and Electronic Systems Integration Inc.
InventorBenjamin R. Johnson
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A system provides for a way for cooling an optical fiber. The system includes a coolant and a conduit. The conduit allows the coolant to flow through the conduit. At least part of the fiber passes through the conduit allowing the coolant to flow around the at least part of the fiber. In some configurations, the fiber runs parallel to the conduit. The system can include a pump diode that is part of an optical laser connected to an end of the fiber. The optical laser can further include a high reflector connected to the fiber and a partial reflector connected to the fiber to reflect some light back and forth between the high reflector and the partial reflector.
Claims18
A method of cooling an optical fiber during laser beam generation comprising:
- receiving optical energy in a prefabricated completely solid and non-hollow static optical fiber;
- reflecting the optical energy along the completely solid static optical fiber between a first reflector and a second reflector to generate a laser beam, wherein the reflecting turns some of the optical energy into mechanical heat energy;
- actively flowing a liquid coolant inside a main conduit from an input conduit adjacent to an outer surface of the completely solid and non-hollow static optical fiber to an output conduit so that the liquid coolant directly impinges on the outer surface of the completely solid and non-hollow static optical fiber while the laser beam is generated and the completely solid static optical fiber precludes the liquid coolant from impinging the optical fiber at a location other than the outer surface, wherein the main conduit is coupled with the input conduit and the output conduit in a manner to maintain the coolant in a pressurized state;
- tensioning the completely solid and non-hollow static optical fiber with a first low stress coupler connected to a first end of the main conduit and with a second low stress coupler connected to a second end of the main conduit, wherein the input conduit and the output conduit are located between the first and second low stress couplers;
- and
- reducing stress and pressure on the completely solid and non-hollow static optical fiber with the first low stress coupler connected to the first end of the main conduit, and an O-ring in the first low stress coupler extending around the completely solid and non-hollow static optical fiber, and reducing stress and pressure on the completely solid and non-hollow static optical fiber with the second low stress coupler connected to the second end of the conduit, and an O-ring in the second low stress coupler extending around the solid static optical fiber.
3 more elements
A system for cooling an optical fiber during laser beam generation comprising:
- a prefabricated solid static optical fiber adapted to receive optical energy;
- a first reflector and a second reflector positioned along the solid static optical fiber adapted to reflect optical energy therebetween and generate a laser beam;
- a liquid coolant;
- a conduit adapted to allow the coolant to flow through the conduit, wherein the first reflector and the second reflector are inside the conduit;
- wherein at least part of the solid static optical fiber passes through the conduit allowing the coolant to flow at least parallel to at least part of an outer surface of the solid static optical fiber to impinge and actively cool the solid static optical fiber while the laser beam is generated and actively cool the first reflector and the second reflector inside the conduit;
- wherein the coolant flows in one direction parallel to the solid static optical fiber;
- wherein the first reflector is a high reflector connected to the solid static optical fiber;
- wherein the second reflector is a partial reflector connected to the solid static optical fiber to reflect some light back and forth between the high reflector and the partial reflector;
- a first low stress coupler connected to a first end of the conduit to reduce stress on the solid static optical fiber and pressure in the optical fiber, and an O-ring in the first low stress coupler extending around the solid static optical fiber;
- a second low stress coupler connected to the second end of the conduit to reduce stress on the solid static optical fiber and pressure in the optical fiber, and an O-ring in the second low stress coupler extending around the solid static optical fiber;
- a coolant input conduit in fluid communication with the conduit;
- a coolant output conduit in fluid communication with the conduit, wherein the coolant input conduit and the coolant output conduit are located between the first low stress coupler and the second low stress coupler;
- and
- wherein the conduit is coupled with the coolant input conduit and the coolant output conduit in a manner to maintain the coolant in a pressurized state.
11 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.