JP2001036167A - Gas cooling method and laser device using the same - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To obtain a gas cooling method which undergoes little composition changes in cooling gas and can be easily applied to a large-sized laser device. SOLUTION: Water 6 in the main gas dissocitates into hydrogen 4 and oxygen 5 in a high temperature part. Energy for dissociation is taken away from the main gas, which is cooled. From the hydrogen 4 and the oxygen 5 which have dissocitated, water 6 is synthesized by an electrochemical device 7 or an ion electron mixing conductor (electrochemical element) 8, and sent to the high temperature part. This cooling cycle is repeated in this gas cooling method.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a gas cooling method for cooling a gas temperature of a high-temperature gas furnace raised to several thousand degrees centigrade, particularly a gas temperature in a central portion thereof, and a laser apparatus using the gas cooling method.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art For example, in a metal vapor laser apparatus, it is necessary to heat a metal or a wall in contact with a metal to about 1500 ° C. in order to produce a metal vapor. The temperature reached several thousand degrees Celsius, which hindered laser oscillation, and it became necessary to maintain the gas temperature at an appropriate temperature.

In order to cool the gas inside the furnace by using a furnace or a laser device, there are some methods in which the vessel is cooled from the outside or the temperature of the gas is lowered by disposing a heat exchanger in the vessel. In the exchanger, there is a problem that the gas temperature can be distributed.

FIG. 8 is an explanatory view of an arc plasma steam generator disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2-93201, wherein 1 is a container, 2 is a space in which a main gas is sealed, 6 is water, and 20 is a pair of electrodes. , 21 is an arc plasma, 22 is a water supply nozzle,
Reference numeral 23 denotes a water vapor outlet, which is a device for atomizing water 6 from a water supply nozzle 22 and sending it into the vessel 1 to generate an arc plasma 21 between a pair of electrodes 20 and at the same time turn the water 6 into steam. The effect of this is that the temperature of the arc plasma 21 can be lowered.

FIG. 9 is an explanatory view of a metal vapor laser apparatus disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 5-327081, wherein 4 is hydrogen, 5 is oxygen, 6 is water, 24 is a laser inner tube, and 25 and 26.
Is an electrode, 27 and 28 are laser windows, 29 is a gas inlet, 3
0 is a gas outlet, 31 is a metal particle, 32 is a buffer gas, and 33 is an outer cylinder. That is, in the metal vapor laser apparatus, in order to produce metal vapor, a metal or a wall in contact with the metal is cut by 150 mm.
The gas is heated to about 0 ° C. to generate a discharge between the electrodes 25 and 26. At this time, the gas temperature in the space in which the metal vapor floats has reached several thousand degrees Celsius. At this time, the water 6 introduced into the laser inner tube 24 from the gas inlet 29 is dissociated by the heat of the gas, thereby lowering the gas temperature and adjusting the gas temperature to an appropriate gas temperature for laser oscillation.

[0006]

However, when water is used as described above, the water must be continuously supplied into the plasma, so that the composition of the discharge gas is changed and the discharge is hindered. There are issues. In addition, if the metal vapor laser device is significantly long, even if water is supplied to the discharge space, water is dissociated only at the entrance of the device, gas cooling occurs only near the entrance, and in the middle of the device and at the gas outlet. Since the dissociation product of water arrives, there is a problem that it is difficult to cool the gas.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made to solve such a problem, and does not require continuous supply of water, has little change in the composition of a cooling gas, and can be easily applied to a large laser device. The purpose is to obtain a method. It is another object of the present invention to provide a laser device capable of easily stabilizing characteristics even when the scale is increased.

[0008]

In a first gas cooling method according to the present invention, water is dissociated into hydrogen and oxygen by the heat of the gas to be cooled, and the gas is cooled by the dissociation energy, whereby the electrochemical element is cooled. And producing water from the dissociated hydrogen and oxygen.

[0009] A second gas cooling method according to the present invention is the first gas cooling method, wherein the ion-electron mixed conductor,
Alternatively, water is generated from the dissociated hydrogen and oxygen by an electrochemical device including a pair of electrodes, an ion conductor provided between the electrodes, and a conductor that conducts between the electrodes.

A third gas cooling method according to the present invention is the method according to the second gas cooling method, wherein the ion-ion mixed conductor is a hydrogen ion mixed conductor or an oxygen ion mixed conductor.

In a fourth gas cooling method according to the present invention, in the second gas cooling method, the ionic conductor is a hydrogen ion conductor or an oxygen ion conductor.

In a fifth gas cooling method according to the present invention, water is dissociated into hydrogen and oxygen by the heat of the gas to be cooled to cool the gas, and water is generated from the dissociated hydrogen and oxygen by a noble metal. How to

A first laser device according to the present invention comprises a discharge tube, a pair of electrodes for discharging, heating, and ionizing the main gas containing water sealed in the discharge tube, and mounted in the discharge tube. The main gas is cooled by any one of the above-described first to fifth gas cooling methods.

[0014]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Embodiment 1 The gas cooling method according to the first embodiment of the present invention is characterized in that (1) a gas used as an excitation or ionization medium in a laser device, for example,
In a high-temperature part in a furnace (vessel) in which the gas to be cooled is sealed, water contained in the gas is dissociated into hydrogen and oxygen by the heat of the gas, and the gas is cooled by the dissociation heat. Using the electrochemical element placed in, to generate water from the dissociated hydrogen and oxygen on the surface of this electrochemical element,
(3) In this method, the gas in the furnace is cooled by a cooling cycle of sending the water to a high-temperature portion by convection.

[0015] When water is generated from the dissociated hydrogen and oxygen on the surface of the electrochemical element, if the electrochemical element is placed in contact with the wall of the container, the heat of the generated water is reduced. Since the heat is transmitted to the vessel wall and cooled, convection is generated efficiently, and the gas in the furnace is cooled.

Embodiment 2 As the electrochemical element in the first embodiment, an ion-electron mixed conductor, for example, a hydrogen ion-electron mixed conductor such as SrCeO ₃ or Sr
An oxygen ion electron mixed conductor such as ZrO ₃ is used.
The temperature of the gas that can be cooled using the electrochemical element is lower than the operating temperature of the electrochemical element, that is, the melting point.

FIG. 1 is an explanatory view for explaining an operation mechanism of a hydrogen ion / electron mixed conductor according to a second embodiment of the present invention. In the figure, reference numeral 1 denotes a container, and 2 denotes a main gas which is a gas to be cooled. , 4 is hydrogen, 5 is oxygen, 10 is hydrogen 4
And a hydrogen ion electron mixed conductor capable of contacting oxygen 5 and h ⁺ is a vacancy. That is, the hydrogen ion / electron mixed conductor 10 is placed in the container 1 and hydrogen 4 and oxygen 5 are mixed in the main gas.
0, the H-electron-mixed conductor 1 is taken into the hydrogen-ion-electron mixed conductor 10 in the form of H ^+.
0, water is synthesized from the electrons (e ⁻ ) supplied from the inside of the hydrogen ion electron mixed conductor 10, H ⁺ and oxygen 5 in the container 1 according to the following chemical reaction formula (1). .

[0018]

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As a result, the water 6 is transported to the center of the space 2 in which the main gas is sealed, and dissociated at the center of the main gas, thereby lowering the temperature of the main gas, dissociating and heating the heated hydrogen 4 and oxygen 5 is cooled on the wall surface of the container 1.

Embodiment 3 FIG. 2 is an explanatory view for explaining the operation mechanism of the oxygen ion electron mixed conductor according to the third embodiment of the present invention. In the figure, reference numeral 11 denotes an oxygen ion electron mixed conductor which can come into contact with hydrogen 4 and oxygen 5. It is a conductor. That is, when the oxygen ion / electron mixed conductor 11 is disposed in the container 1 and the oxygen 5 mixed in the main gas contacts one surface of the oxygen ion / electron mixed conductor 11, the oxygen 5 becomes the oxygen ion / electron mixed conductor. (e ^-) 11 electrons from received a, becomes O ^2- in an oxygen mixed ionic electronic conductor 11, O ^2- is transported to another aspect of the oxygen mixed ionic electronic conductor 11, in turn, oxygen mixed ionic electronic The conductor 11 is deprived of e ⁻ and combines with hydrogen 4 in the main gas to synthesize water 6 as shown in the following chemical reaction formula (2).

[0021]

Embedded image

As a result, the water 6 is carried to the center of the space 2 in which the main gas is sealed, and dissociated at the center of the main gas, thereby lowering the temperature of the main gas, dissociating and heating the heated hydrogen 4 and oxygen 5 is cooled on the wall surface of the container 1.

Embodiment 4 This is a case where an ionic conductor is used as the electrochemical element in the first embodiment,
When an ionic conductor is used, the ionic conductor is provided between a pair of electrodes and used as an electrochemical device in which the electrodes are electrically connected by a conductor. As the ion conductor, for example, a hydrogen ion conductor of amorphous alumina such as NH ₄ ⁺ β ″ Al ₂ O ₃ or an oxygen ion conductor such as ZrO ₂ —CaO is used. The temperature of the gas that can be formed is equal to or lower than the operating temperature of the electrochemical device, that is, the melting point.

FIG. 3 is an explanatory view for explaining the operation mechanism of the hydrogen ion conductor according to the fourth embodiment of the present invention.
In the drawing, 12 is a hydrogen ion conductor, 13 is a conductor for transferring electrons to one surface of the hydrogen ion conductor 12 and the other surface, and 14 and 15 are hydrogen ion conductors 12, respectively.
A first apertured electrode and a second apertured electrode arranged on the surface. That is, the first apertured electrode 14 and the second apertured electrode 15 are provided on both surfaces of the hydrogen ion conductor 12 in the container 1 and the conductor 1
The electrochemical device in which the first hole electrode and the second hole electrode are electrically connected according to 3 is arranged. When hydrogen 4 comes into contact with the opening of the first opening electrode 14, the hydrogen 4 is deprived of electrons (e ⁻ ) and 2H ⁺
Move to the opposite surface in the hydrogen ion conductor 12 in the form of, and the deprived electrons pass through the conductor 13 from the first apertured electrode 14,
Move to the second apertured electrode 15. Here, the 2H ⁺ , oxygen 5 and the electrons that have moved from the other surface are combined with each other to synthesize water according to the following chemical reaction formula (3).

[0025]

Embedded image

As a result, the water 6 is carried to the center of the space 2 in which the main gas is sealed, and dissociated at the center of the main gas, thereby lowering the temperature of the main gas, dissociating and heating the hydrogen 4 and oxygen 5 is cooled on the wall surface of the container 1.

Embodiment 5 FIG. FIG. 4 is an explanatory view for explaining an operation mechanism of the oxygen ion conductor according to the fifth embodiment of the present invention. In the drawing, reference numeral 16 denotes an oxygen ion conductor, and 13 denotes an electron with the oxygen ion conductor 16. Conductors 14 and 15 for transferring electrons to the surface and the other surface are a first aperture electrode and a second aperture electrode disposed on both surfaces of the oxygen ion conductor 16, respectively. That is, the oxygen ion conductor 1
6, a first hole electrode 14 and a second hole electrode 15 are provided on both surfaces, and an electrochemical device in which the first hole electrode and the second hole electrode are conducted by the conductor 13 is arranged. First apertured electrode 1
When oxygen 5 comes into contact with the contact point between oxygen ion conductor 4 and oxygen ion conductor 16, electrons (e ⁻ ) are supplied to oxygen 5 from first apertured electrode 14, and oxygen 5 becomes O ²⁻ , and oxygen ion conductor 16 Pass through the inside, move to the second apertured electrode 15 side, the hydrogen 4 contacting the contact between the second apertured electrode 15 and the oxygen ion conductor 16 flows electrons to the second apertured electrode 15, Combined with O ²⁻ coming from the first apertured electrode 14 side, the following chemical reaction formula (4)
Synthesize water as in

[0028]

Embedded image

As a result, the water 6 is carried to the center of the space 2 in which the main gas is sealed, and dissociated at the center of the main gas, thereby lowering the temperature of the main gas, dissociating and heating the heated hydrogen 4 and oxygen 5 is cooled on the wall surface of the container 1.

Embodiment 6 FIG. FIG. 5 is a configuration diagram for explaining a mechanism for cooling a main gas in a container by using the gas cooling method of the first to fifth embodiments. Reference numeral 3 denotes a heating source for heating the main gas, Good. 4 is hydrogen mixed in the main gas, 5 is oxygen mixed in the main gas, 6 is water in the main gas, 7 is an ionic conductor provided between a pair of electrodes, and a conductor for conducting between the electrodes is provided. This is an electrochemical device that produces water 6 from hydrogen 4 and oxygen 5. Reference numeral 8 denotes an ion-electron mixed conductor, which is an electrochemical element for producing water 6 from hydrogen 4 and oxygen 5, and reference numeral 9 denotes a heating power supply for supplying power to a heating source.

That is, the main gas inside the container 1 is heated by the heating source 3 supplied with power from the heating power source 9. The main gas becomes hot at a position distant from the wall of the container 1 and brings the main gas to an unnecessarily high temperature state. When hydrogen 4 and oxygen 5 are mixed in the main gas in the container 1, an electrochemical device 7 using an ion conductor or an ion-electron mixed conductor (electrochemical element)
Water 6 is synthesized on the surface 8 or both surfaces thereof, and is sent to the high-temperature portion of the space 2 in which the main gas is sealed. The water 6 dissociates in the high-temperature portion, and hydrogen 4 (or a hydrogen atom) and oxygen 5 (or oxygen Atom). In order to dissociate this energy from the main gas, the temperature of the high temperature part of the main gas drops,
The heated hydrogen 4 and oxygen 5 having energy are cooled by coming into contact with the cooled container 1, the electrochemical device 7 using the ionic conductor or the ion-electron mixed conductor 8, and the electrochemical device 7 or the ion-electron mixed conductor Water 6 is synthesized again by the body 8 to cool the main gas.

Embodiment 7 FIG. 6 is a configuration diagram of a laser device using the gas cooling method of the first to fifth embodiments for explaining a mechanism for cooling gas in the device. Reference numeral 24 denotes oxygen 5 or water. 6 and hydrogen 4 floating inside and a discharge inside the laser tube,
Reference numerals 25 and 26 denote electrodes at both ends of the inner laser tube, 32 a buffer gas (main gas) for generating a discharge inside the inner laser tube 24, 31 metal particles serving as a metal vapor source as a laser source, 29 Is a gas inlet for the buffer to introduce gas, 30 is a gas outlet for discharging the buffer gas to the outside, 27 and 28 are laser windows for extracting laser light,
33 is an outer cylinder that houses the laser inner tube 24, the electrodes 27 and 28, and the like.

That is, the buffer gas 32
With water 6 or hydrogen 4 with buffer gas 32
By supplying hydrogen and oxygen 5, the water 6 is dissociated in the laser inner tube 24 and separated into hydrogen 4 and oxygen 5, and the dissociation energy cools the main gas in the laser inner tube 24. When the dissociated hydrogen 4 and oxygen 5 reach the electrochemical device 7 using the ionic conductor or the ion-electron mixed conductor 8, the water 4 and oxygen 5
become. The water 6 moves to a place where the gas temperature is high at the center of the axis of the laser inner tube 24 due to the convection inside the tube and dissociates again to lower the gas temperature. As described above, the high-temperature gas portion of the laser inner tube was cooled, and a stable output was obtained. When the heat of the generated water is transferred to the wall of the container and cooled, the convection occurs more efficiently, and the gas in the furnace is cooled. Hydrogen 4 and oxygen 5 buffer gas 32
Similarly, the high-temperature gas portion of the inner tube of the laser can be cooled.

Embodiment 8 FIG. The gas cooling method of the eighth embodiment of the present invention is a method of using the noble metal material such as platinum, ruthenium or iridium instead of the electrochemical element in the gas cooling method of the first embodiment,
The noble metal material acts similarly to the electrochemical element, and cools the gas in the furnace by regenerating water from dissociated hydrogen and oxygen.

FIG. 7 is a block diagram for explaining a mechanism for cooling the main gas in the container by using the gas cooling method of the present embodiment. A noble metal material arranged in contact with oxygen 5, for example, platinum, ruthenium or iridium.

That is, the main gas inside the container 1 is heated by the heating source 3 supplied with electric power by the heating power supply 9.
The main gas becomes hot at a position distant from the wall of the container 1 and brings the main gas to an unnecessarily high temperature state. When hydrogen 4 and oxygen 5 are mixed in the main gas in the container 1, the noble metal material 17 becomes a catalyst, and hydrogen 4 and oxygen 5 are combined on the surface of the noble metal material 17 to synthesize water 6, which is the same as in the above embodiment. The water 6 is sent to the high temperature part of the main gas, and the water 6 is dissociated in the high temperature part and is separated into hydrogen 4 and oxygen 5. Since the energy is removed from the main gas for the dissociation, the temperature of the high temperature part of the main gas is lowered, and the heated hydrogen 4 and oxygen 5 having the energy are cooled by coming into contact with the cooled container 1 or the noble metal material 17, It is sent to the high temperature part by convection, and water 6 is synthesized again on the surface of the noble metal material 17 to cool the main gas.

In the laser apparatus using the gas cooling method according to the present embodiment using a noble metal material instead of the electrochemical element according to the sixth embodiment, the high-temperature gas portion of the laser inner tube is similarly cooled. And a stable output was obtained.

[0038]

According to the first gas cooling apparatus of the present invention, water is dissociated into hydrogen and oxygen by the heat of the gas to be cooled, the gas is cooled by the dissociation energy, and the gas is dissociated using an electrochemical element. The method of generating water from hydrogen and oxygen has an effect that the composition of the cooling gas is less changed and can be easily applied to a large laser device.

The second gas cooling method of the present invention includes the first gas cooling method described above.
In the gas cooling method, the dissociated hydrogen and oxygen are separated by an electrochemical device including an ion / electron mixed conductor, or a pair of electrodes and an ion conductor provided between the electrodes and a conductor that conducts between the electrodes. In this method, the composition change of the cooling gas is small and the method can be easily applied to a large-sized laser device.

According to the third gas cooling method of the present invention,
In the gas cooling method of the above, the ion-electron mixed conductor is a hydrogen ion-electron mixed conductor or an oxygen ion-electron mixed conductor, and there is little change in the composition of the cooling gas and the effect that it can be easily applied to a large laser device. is there.

According to the fourth gas cooling method of the present invention,
In the gas cooling method described above, the ion conductor is a hydrogen ion conductor or an oxygen ion conductor, and there is an effect that the composition of the cooling gas is small and can be easily applied to a large laser device.

According to the fifth gas cooling method of the present invention, the gas is cooled by dissociating water into hydrogen and oxygen by the heat of the gas to be cooled, and water is generated from the hydrogen and oxygen dissociated by the noble metal. With this method, there is an effect that the composition of the cooling gas is small and the method can be easily applied to a large-sized laser device.

The first laser device of the present invention comprises a discharge tube, a main gas sealed in the discharge tube and containing water, a pair of electrodes for discharging the main gas to heat and ionize the discharge tube, and a laser mounted in the discharge tube. The main gas is cooled by any one of the first to fifth gas cooling methods, and the characteristics can be easily stabilized even if the scale becomes large. There is an effect that conversion can be performed.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram illustrating an operation mechanism of a hydrogen ion / electron mixed conductor according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram illustrating an operation mechanism of a hydrogen ion / electron mixed conductor according to a third embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram illustrating an operation mechanism of a hydrogen ion conductor according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram illustrating an operation mechanism of a hydrogen ion conductor according to a fifth embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a configuration diagram for explaining a mechanism for cooling a main gas in a container according to a sixth embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a configuration diagram of a laser device according to a seventh embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 7 is a configuration diagram for explaining a mechanism for cooling a main gas in a container according to an eighth embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 8 is an explanatory view of a conventional arc plasma steam generator.

FIG. 9 is an explanatory view of a conventional metal vapor laser device.

[Explanation of symbols]

1 container, 2 space filled with main gas, 3 heating source,
Reference Signs List 4 hydrogen, 5 oxygen, 7 electrochemical devices, 8 ion / electron mixed conductor (electrochemical element), 10 hydrogen / ion mixed electron conductor, 11 oxygen / ion mixed electron conductor, 12 hydrogen / ion conductor, 13 conductor, 14th 1 open electrode,
15 A second apertured electrode, 16 is an oxygen ion conductor, 17
Precious metal materials.

 ──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continuing on the front page (72) Inventor Shiro Yamauchi 2-3-2 Marunouchi, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo Within Mitsubishi Electric Corporation (72) Inventor Shigeaki Fujita 2-3-2 Marunouchi, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo 2-3 (72) Inventor Koichi Suzuki 2-3-2 Marunouchi, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo F-term (reference) 5F072 AA03 JJ05 TT22 TT30

Claims (6)

[Claims] 1. Dissociation of water into hydrogen and oxygen by heat of a gas to be cooled, and cooling the gas by the dissociation energy.
A gas cooling method for producing water from the dissociated hydrogen and oxygen using an electrochemical element. 2. An electrochemical device comprising an ion / electron mixed conductor or a pair of electrodes and an ion conductor provided between the electrodes and a conductor for conducting between the electrodes, dissociates the hydrogen and oxygen from the dissociated hydrogen and oxygen. The method according to claim 1, wherein water is generated. 3. The gas cooling method according to claim 2, wherein the ion-electron mixed conductor is a hydrogen-ion mixed electron conductor or an oxygen-ion mixed electron conductor. 4. The gas cooling method according to claim 2, wherein the ion conductor is a hydrogen ion conductor or an oxygen ion conductor. 5. A gas cooling method in which water is dissociated into hydrogen and oxygen by the heat of the gas to be cooled to cool the gas, and water is generated from the dissociated hydrogen and oxygen by a noble metal. 6. A discharge tube, a main gas sealed in the discharge tube and containing water, a pair of electrodes for discharging and heating and ionizing the main gas, and an electrochemical element or a noble metal material placed in the discharge tube. Claim 1 to Claim 5
A laser device configured to cool the main gas by the gas cooling method according to any one of the above.