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US 4,426,843 AGranted
CO.sub.2 Coupling material
AssigneeUnited Technologies Corporation
InventorsMichael C. Fowler, David C. Smith
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An improved energy conversion device for converting the energy carried by a laser beam to kinetic energy of a working fluid transparent to the laser radiation incorporates a seed gas having a relatively low dissociation temperature. The beam is focused to a beam spot the maximum diameter of which depends on the total power of the beam.
Claims3
A method for converting electromagnetic radiation energy from a CO.sub.2 laser to kinetic energy of a kinetic fluid comprising the steps of:
- mixing a low atomic weight working fluid that is substantially transparent to CO.sub.2 radiation with a predetermined portion of a radiation conversion material having triatomic molecules with atomic weights of less than 20 to form a kinetic fluid;
- passing said kinetic fluid into a heating chamber;
- generating at least one beam of CO.sub.2 optical radiation and having at least one power level;
- transporting said at least one beam of optical radiation to said heating chamber;
- focusing said at least one beam of optical radiation to at least one predetermined focus area within said heating chamber;
- absorbing electromagnetic energy from said at least one beam in said focus area by interaction with said radiation conversion material;
- and
- transferring kinetic energy from said radiation conversion material to said working fluid, said at least one focus area being related to said at least one power level so that a portion of said kinetic fluid within said focus area is raised to a nonequilibrium state having a highest temperature between about 1,000.degree. K. and about 5,000.degree. K.
5 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.