Integrated dual source recycling system for chemical laser weapon systems

A method for operating a chemical oxygen-iodine laser system coupled to a source of potassium hydroxide, molecular chlorine gas, hydrogen peroxide, molecular iodine gas, and molecular nitrogen gas, wherein the system produces spent water, spent aqueous basic hydrogen peroxide, and spent laser exhaust gas comprising molecular oxygen, molecular nitrogen, molecular chlorine, molecular iodine, and molecular water, comprising:

• collecting an amount of spent basic hydrogen peroxide comprised of spent aqueous potassium chloride;
• collecting an amount of the spent laser exhaust gas;
• separating the spent aqueous potassium chloride into a first stream comprising water and a second stream comprising aqueous potassium chloride;
• separating the molecular oxygen and the molecular nitrogen from the molecular chlorine and the molecular iodine in the spent laser exhaust gas;
• converting the spent aqueous potassium chloride into a substance selected from the group consisting of molecular hydrogen, molecular chlorine, aqueous potassium hydroxide, and combinations thereof;
• separating the molecular oxygen from the molecular nitrogen;
• combining the molecular oxygen with a substance selected from the group consisting of the spent water, the molecular hydrogen, or combinations thereof to form hydrogen peroxide;
• and
• mixing the hydrogen peroxide with the aqueous potassium hydroxide to form basic hydrogen peroxide.

A method of operating a chemical oxygen-iodine laser system, coupled to a potassium hydroxide source, molecular chlorine gas source, hydrogen peroxide source, molecular iodine gas source, and molecular nitrogen gas source, wherein the system produces spent water, spent aqueous basic hydrogen peroxide, and spent laser exhaust gas including molecular oxygen, molecular nitrogen, molecular chlorine, molecular iodine, and molecular water, the method comprising:

• collecting an amount of spent basic hydrogen peroxide including aqueous potassium chloride;
• collecting an amount of the spent laser exhaust gas;
• separating the spent aqueous potassium chloride into a first stream comprising water and a second stream comprising aqueous potassium chloride;
• separating the spent laser exhaust gas the molecular oxygen and the molecular nitrogen from the molecular chlorine and the molecular iodine,
• separating the molecular chlorine from the molecular iodine;
• converting the spent aqueous potassium chloride into a substance selected from the group consisting of molecular hydrogen, molecular chlorine, aqueous potassium hydroxide, and combinations thereof;
• separating the molecular oxygen from the molecular nitrogen;
• forming hydrogen peroxide by combining the molecular oxygen with a substance selected from the group consisting of the spent water, the molecular hydrogen, or combinations thereof;
• mixing the hydrogen peroxide with the aqueous potassium hydroxide to form basic hydrogen peroxide;
• returning the molecular chlorine to the molecular chlorine gas source;
• returning the molecular iodine to the molecular iodine gas source;
• and
• introducing the formed basic hydrogen into the basic hydrogen peroxide source.