Anatoly S. Boreisho

Choice of working parameters of pressure recovery systems for high-power gas flow chemical lasers

The general view of PRS is shown in the paper [1] of the present book. The PRS is known gasdynamic device consisting from the next main elements: supersonic diffuser and supersonic ejector. Traditionally it is utilized for providing of supersonic wind tunnels exhaust.

Pressure recovery systems for high-power gas flow chemical lasers

Some important applications of High Power Gas Flow and Chemical Lasers (HPGCL) are aimed to ground level operations. HPGCL are understood here as open cycle machines. It means that after the laser cavity their exhaust gases run out to the ambient atmosphere. Exhaust gas products after resonator cavity cannot be evacuated directly to atmosphere. The atmosphere pressure on the sea level exceeds the cavity pressure by 1 0 N20 times for CO2 gasdynamic lasers (GDL) and by 150 N200 times for chemical oxygen-iodine lasers (COIL).

Mobile lidar complex for ecological monitoring of the atmosphere

Mobile lidar complex provides monitoring of the atmosphere at the ranges up to 15 km in the wide spectral range from UV to mid IR. Three types of lasers are used for atmosphere probing via a common telescopic and scanner system. First tests of complex operability have shown high reliability of the equipment and realization of the main parameters.

High-efficiency nitrogen-based 14-kW COIL

14 kW CW COIL has been modernized and tested. Experimental and numerical methods used for diagnostics and simulation of laser operation are presented, as well as results of experiments and numerical simulation.

Improvement of the optical quality of the free-vortex aerodynamic windows

The aerodynamic windows are intended for a high power extraction from the gas laser optical cavity, where the pressure is much lower than environment pressure. The main requirements for the aerodynamic windows are to satisfy a low level of optical disturbances in a laser beam extraction channel and an air leakage absence into the optical cavity. One way of the optical quality improving consists in density drop decrease by working gas heating. Optimum heating of the jet gas improves the optical quality of aerodynamic windows. In this case they became useful for powerful DF, HF chemical lasers and COIL. Registered aberrations of the aerodynamic windows are insignificant for divergence quantity of the laser beams with wavelength for 1 to 10 microns.

Small- and medium-output-power CO2 GDL

A family of the small (100 W) and medium (15 kW) combustion- driven CO2-Gas-dynamic lasers was developed and tested for new application: teaching and scientific research for laser technology. The laser operated using ordinary fuels (carbon, solid propellant, toluene and air). The midget lasers were tested in both premixing and mixing modes. The medium lasers were optimized for two goal functions: maximum power or minimum divergence.

Explosive initiation using radiation from a shock wave-pumped solid state laser

Results of theoretical simulation and field tests of a shock wave pumped solid state laser are presented. The laser has demonstrated real capabilities to initiate explosives. Operating without external sources of electrical power, the laser is pumped with the radiation from converging axially symmetric shock waves in argon.

Combustion-driven CO2-gas dynamic lasers: the story may be continued

The first purpose of combustion-driven carbon-dioxide-gas- dynamic lasers (GDL) was military applications. Just these applications aimed to development of more and more powerful systems led to the appearance of more and more expensive lasers using very dangerous and poison fuels. It is very hard to satisfy simultaneously both military and economic requirements, therefore, this idea could not be realized widely and successfully. In this way the lasers had no chance to be suitable for ordinary users. New approaches at the old idea of combustion-drive carbon-dioxide-GDL allow us to open some ways to realize the lasers for education and research projects. The most inexpensive 10 - 15 kilowatt and 400 megawatt lasers are considered. Experimental results, technical and financial estimates are presented also.

Influence of the diphasality of the working body on the characteristics of a combustion product CO2 gasdynamic laser (GDL)

The utilization of combustion to obtain gasdynamic laser working body components can result in a substantial difference in the working body parameters from those prescribed, which is associated with the fact that the governing parameters cease to be mutually independent. One of the consequences of such a distinction can be the appearance of condensed particles in the combustion products. The most probable particle material in the combustion of different hydrocarbon propellants is carbon. Conclusions drawn from a gasdynamic laser operating by combustion products show that the presence of soot particles in the working body substantially reduces the output characteristics. A particle content of more than 1% is visibly inadmissible since it can even result in the collapse of generation. As shown by individual computations, such losses as the gasdynamic do not occur in practice for soot particles because of the equilibrium of the gas and particle velocities and temperatures.