Laser ignition
AssigneeThe Regents of the University of California
InventorsJames W. Early, Charles S. Lester
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Abstract
In the apparatus of the invention, a first excitation laser or other excitation light source is used in tandem with an ignitor laser to provide a compact, durable, engine deployable fuel ignition laser system. Reliable fuel ignition is provided over a wide range of fuel conditions by using a single remote excitation light source for one or more small lasers located proximate to one or more fuel combustion zones. In a third embodiment, alternating short and long pulses of light from the excitation light source are directed into the ignitor laser. Each of the embodiments of the invention can be multiplexed so as to provide laser light energy sequentially to more than one ignitor laser.
Claims32
An ignition apparatus comprising:
- (a) an excitation light source;
- (b) a lens positioned to focus output from said excitation light source into an optical fiber;
- (c) a lens positioned to focus output from said optical fiber into an ignitor laser;
- and
- (d) a lens positioned to focus output from said ignitor laser into a combustible fuel.
An ignition apparatus comprising:
- (a) an excitation light source;
- (b) an optical switch positioned to receive output from said excitation light source and direct said output from said excitation light source laser into a plurality of optical fibers;
- (c) wherein each of said plurality of optical fibers is positioned to transport laser light from said laser through a focusing lens into an ignitor laser;
- and
- (d) a lens positioned to focus output from said ignitor laser into a combustible fuel.
An ignition method comprising:
- (a) injecting a pulsed long duration low peak power light beam from an excitation light source into at least one optical fiber;
- (b) directing said pulsed long duration low peak power light beam from said optical fiber into an ignitor laser, thereby pumping said ignitor laser;
- and
- (c) directing output from said ignitor laser into a focal point in a combustible fuel.
An ignition method comprising:
- (a) injecting a pulsed long duration low peak power light beam from an excitation light source into at least one optical fiber;
- (b) directing said pulsed long duration low peak power light beam from said optical fiber into a multiplexing device;
- (c) directing output from said multiplexing device through a plurality of optical fibers into an ignitor laser, thereby pumping said ignitor laser;
- and
- (d) directing output from said ignitor laser into a focal point in a combustible fuel.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.