Optical energy apparatus, systems, and methods

An optical energy system, comprising:

• a laser device configured to output a laser beam;
• an array of a plurality of sensors radially positioned apart from a path of the laser beam, each of the plurality of sensors configured to capture energy scattered from a transversal energy distribution of the laser beam and output an electric current at a value in proportion to the captured energy;
• and
• a control system communicably coupled to each of the sensors and configured to perform operations comprising:
• aggregating the output electric currents from the plurality of sensors into a time-dependent array of electric current values;
• determining an anomaly in the laser beam based on at least one of (i) a shape of the laser beam, or (ii) digitized output electric current data from the electric current values, the determining comprising:
• comparing the digitized output electric current data from the electric current values taken at a first time to digitized output electric current data from the electric current values taken at a second time prior to the first time;
• and
• based on the comparison exceeding a threshold value, determining the anomaly in the laser beam based on the digitized output electric current data from the electric current values;
• and
• controlling the laser device based on the determined anomaly in the laser beam.

A method for operating an optical energy system, comprising:

• operating an optical energy system to generate a laser beam from a laser device, the optical energy system comprising an array of a plurality of sensors radially positioned apart from a path of the laser beam;
• capturing, with each of the plurality of sensors, energy scattered from a transversal energy distribution of the laser beam;
• outputting, from each of the plurality of sensors, an electric current at a value in proportion to the captured energy;
• aggregating, with a laser control system, the output electric currents from the plurality of sensors into a time-dependent array of electric current values;
• determining, with the laser control system, the shape of the laser beam, the determining comprising:
• inputting, with the laser control system, the digitized output electric current data into a Helmholtz solver;
• determining, with the laser control system, the shape of the laser beam by solving, with the Helmholtz solver, a Helmholtz equation subject to boundary values based on the transversal energy distribution of the laser beam;
• and
• based on a comparison of the boundary values differing from previous boundary values exceeding a threshold value, determining, with the laser control system, the anomaly in the laser beam based on the shape of the laser beam;
• determining, with the laser control system, an anomaly in the laser beam based on at least one of (i) a shape of the laser beam, or (ii) digitized output electric current data from the electric current values;
• and
• controlling, with the laser control system, the laser device based on the determined anomaly in the laser beam.

A method for operating an optical energy system, comprising:

• operating an optical energy system to generate a laser beam from a laser device, the optical energy system comprising an array of a plurality of sensors radially positioned apart from a path of the laser beam;
• capturing, with each of the plurality of sensors, energy scattered from a transversal energy distribution of the laser beam;
• outputting, from each of the plurality of sensors, an electric current at a value in proportion to the captured energy;
• aggregating, with a laser control system, the output electric currents from the plurality of sensors into a time-dependent array of electric current values;
• determining, with the laser control system, an anomaly in the laser beam based on at least one of (i) a shape of the laser beam, or (ii) digitized output electric current data from the electric current values, the determining comprising:
• comparing, with the laser control system, the digitized output electric current data from the electric current values taken at a first time to digitized output electric current data from the electric current values taken at a second time prior to the first time;
• and
• based on the comparison exceeding a threshold value, determining, with the laser control system, the anomaly in the laser beam based on the digitized output electric current data from the electric current values;
• and
• controlling, with the laser control system, the laser device based on the determined anomaly in the laser beam.