Gain generator for high-energy chemical lasers
AssigneeTRW Inc.
InventorsCaesar C. Florentino, Raj K. Gupta, Jeffrey S. Hartlove, Charles W. Clendening, Jr., James L. Reeve
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Abstract
A gain generator 10 for use in high-energy flowing gas lasers such as COIL devices comprises a chemical reactant mixing nozzle 12 disposed in a gain medium 16. The nozzle includes a plurality of blades 22 formed of a plastic material resistant to chemical attack at the operating temperature of the gain medium and non-catalytic to O.sub.2 (.sup.1 .DELTA.). A preferred material is polyetherimide. The gain medium includes octagonal shaped openings 50 for the optical mode of the laser beam.
Claims19
A chemical reactant mixing nozzle for use in the gain generator of a high-energy chemical laser to generate photons, the nozzle comprising:
- a) a plurality of blades comprised of a plastic material;
- b) a plurality of nozzle passages extending through the nozzle between adjacent pairs of the blades;
- and
- c) a plurality of holes formed in each blade in communication with at least one of the nozzle passages;
- wherein the plastic material is (i) resistant to chemical attack by chemical species that contact the blades at the operating temperature of the nozzle, and (ii) has a service temperature greater than about the operating temperature of the nozzle.
A chemical reactant mixing nozzle for use in the gain generator of a high-energy chemical oxygen-iodine laser to generate photons, the nozzle comprising:
- a) a plurality of blades comprised of polyetherimide, the blades each including support sections at opposed ends of the blades to maintain the blades in a substantially equally spaced, parallel relationship relative to each other in the nozzle, the blades each defining an interior flow passage, and the support sections each defining a passage therethrough in communication with the flow passage of the blades;
- b) a plurality of nozzle passages extending through the nozzle between adjacent pairs of the blades;
- and
- c) a plurality of holes formed in each blade in communication with the interior flow passage and at least one of the nozzle passages.
A gain generator for use in a high-energy chemical laser, the gain generator comprising:
- a) a nozzle comprising:
- i) a plurality of spaced blades comprised of a plastic material;
- ii) a plurality of nozzle passages extending through the nozzle between adjacent pairs of the blades;
- and
- iii) a plurality of holes formed in each blade in communication with at least one of nozzle passages;
- wherein the plastic material is (i) resistant to chemical attack by chemical species that contact the blades at the operating temperature of the nozzle, and (ii) has a service temperature greater than about the operating temperature of the nozzle;
- and
- b) a gain medium housing the blades, the gain medium including a cavity and a pair of opposed walls each defining an octagonal shaped opening for the optical mode of the laser.
A method of generating photons in a gain generator of a high-energy chemical oxygen-iodine laser, the method comprising:
- a) providing a gain generator comprising a chemical reactant mixing nozzle, the nozzle including:
- i) a plurality of spaced blades comprised of a plastic material;
- and
- ii) a plurality of nozzle flow passages extending through the nozzle between each adjacent pairs of the blades;
- wherein the plastic material is (i) resistant to chemical attack by chemical species that contact the blades at the operating temperature of the nozzle, and (ii) has a service temperature greater than about the operating temperature of the nozzle;
- and
- b) introducing O.sub.2 (.sup.1 .DELTA.) and I.sub.2 into the nozzle passages to generate photons.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.