DE2461928A1 - Chemical laser with a combustion or reaction chamber - has pipes separately supplying reagents diluent and a fluorine compound - Google Patents

Abstract

Atomic fluorine and byproducts containing fluorine are produced in the reaction chamber (10) as a result of a hypergolic reaction. The laser comprises further a laser chamber (21); channels for supply of the atomic flourine and byproducts from reaction chamber (10) to the laser chamber (21) and a device (16) for hydrogen and deuterium injection into the laser chamber (21). Means are provided for the removal of the reagents from the laser. An annular cooling device is also added to the circumference of the chamber as the temperature attached is in the region of 1600 deg.k.

Description

"Combustion or reaction energy of pumped chemical lasers" The invention relates to a laser, in particular a by combustion or Reaction energy pumped HF or DF chemical laser.

In chemical lasers of the HF and DF types, hydrogen or react Deuterium and atomic fluorine in a gaseous diluent, for example Nitrogen, helium, etc., to form hydrogen and deuterium halides. Such continuous lasers read at a pressure of about 20 torr or less lower due to the excited oscillation states of the HF or DF molecules. The transition of these excited HFM and DFM molecules via intermediate states on the basic state is caused by reading, whereby the emitted spectrum is between approx 3.6 - 4.0, u for DF molecules and between about 2.6 - 2.9 / u for HF molecules.

RF and DF chemical lasers are known or proposed and include Devices such as those described in U.S. Patent No. 3,560,876 (J.R. Airey) have been. The device according to the above-mentioned US patent forms atomic fluorine for the lasing reaction in that HCl is formed first and that during HCl production generated heat is passed through a pipe wall to form molecular fluorine (F2) to dissociate into atomic fluorine. At first there is no direct contact between molecular fluorine and HC1.

During the subsequent mixing and reaction of the HC1 with the atomic fluorine in the laser space or cavity, the lasing HF is formed. In the US-PS mentioned above, the general reaction is as follows: In front of the laser room: Laser room: A disadvantage of the device mentioned is that a temperature of only approximately 1275 ° K is postulated; this temperature is below the temperature required for complete dissociation of fluorine. Another disadvantage is that no materials are known which withstand the corrosive effects of fluorine and atomic fluorine over a long period of time at the required dissociation temperatures during heat transfer. An alternative scheme, which is described in said US-PS, has been published by Airey in the article "A Supersonic Mixing Chemical Laser" by JR Airey and SFMcKay, Applied Physics Letters, p. 401, December 15, 1969. A shock tube is used to produce atomic fluorine, but continuous operation is limited. The publication states that the duration of continuous operation is limited to about 1.8 milliseconds and constant power is delivered for about 1 millisecond.

Continuous chemical lasers used to produce atomic Fluorine using an electric arc are described in "Comparison of HF and DF Continuous Chemical Laser "by Donald J. Spencer, Harold Mirels, and Theodore A. Jacobs, Applied Physics Letters, May 15, 1970.

The disadvantage of the Spencer et al. published device lies in that electrical energy to provide the dissociation energy for the Fluorine is needed; for certain purposes it may be desirable to have a device of a smaller size and structure than the one described to have.

Therefore, the invention is based on the object of a chemical Laser and a method for its operation to provide, in which by combustion or chemical reaction of atomic fluorine through intimate mixing with and dissociation a fluorine compound is produced.

Furthermore, the invention is based on the object of providing a combustion or reaction energy pumped chemical laser with a simple and compact To provide structure.

Furthermore, the invention is based on the object of providing a combustion or reaction energy pumped chemical Provide lasers, which can be operated continuously and with high power output.

Another object of the invention is to provide a method to maintain continuous operation of an HF / DF laser, in particular a transverse laser.

The invention will now be based on an exemplary embodiment and on the basis an attached schematic representation explained in more detail.

A chemical, more compact, suitable for continuous operation HF or DF laser can be produced by using deuterium according to the invention or hydrogen with an excess of molecular fluorine (F2) to form DF or HF is caused to react in a combustion or reaction chamber. The heat or energy of the reaction dissociates the fluorine mainly into atomic form Fluorine, leaving a small amount of undissociated fluorine i.e. F2. These gases are all from the reaction chamber into the laser room resp.

-Cavity forwarded and further with additional H2 or D2 to the Formation of lasing HF or DF caused to react, with the H2 or D2 separately injected into the laser room. For HF lasing it becomes DF and for DF lasing it becomes HF is used as a combustion or reaction space product. In both cases will the introduction of a substance that reads in the basic state into the laser room is avoided. Other hydrogen or fluorine compounds can also be used for this process be, but care must be taken that the prepared in the reaction chamber Products do not absorb or otherwise detrimentally affect the emitted laser wavelength on the processes taking place in the laser room regarding the laser radiation act. Furthermore, compounds other than hydrogen and fluorine compounds can also be used as a reactant for the production of atomic fluorine in the reaction space be used. A reaction by-product other than HF or DF can also be used can be used, and both hydrogen and deuterium compounds can be used in the Laser room can be injected to receive laser beams of HF and DF at the same time.

The general reaction proceeds as follows: In the reaction space: Instead: (Excess) (excess) In the laser room: After the laser process, the gases are quickly removed from the laser room by ejection, mechanical, chemical or cryogenic pumping. The chemical laser according to the invention is not only simple, but also effective in that a temperature above 16000K can easily be reached with it; at these temperatures elemental fluorine dissociates more or less completely into atomic fluorine. In contrast, the laser pumped by reaction energy according to US Pat. No. 3,560,876 only reaches a temperature of about 1275 ° K.

This temperature is below that required for complete dissociation of the fluorine is required. The laser according to the invention is simplified in that the combustion or

Reaction and dissociation process takes place in a single room. In addition, since the dissociation of the fluorine does not depend on the heat transfer through walls depends, the walls of the reaction chamber can be cooled if necessary without adverse effects on the formation of atomic fluorine occur. at Long-term continuous operation, of course, cooling is extremely desirable, about reactions between the extremely corrosive fluorine and the reaction chamber walls to avoid.

The chemical laser according to the invention and shown schematically comprises a combustion or reaction chamber 10, which with inlet ports 11, 12 and 13 is equipped for the reactants hydrogen, deuterium and fluorine. the Reaction participants can also use other exothermic compounds, which are consistent with the requirements of the laser room, and be a halide, that contains a substance that dissociates to form free halogen atoms can.

Diluents such as nitrogen, helium, etc., can with or into the reactants through the same or separate inlet ports be injected into either the reaction space 10 or the laser space. In the reaction room 10 is a gaseous mixture of halogen atoms and molecules, for example F and F2. Water cooling coils 15 are along the outer periphery of the reaction space 10 arranged and ensure that with the reactants in the reaction chamber 10 wall standing in contact is cooled. It others can too Cooling techniques are used in which, for example, air cooled and the reactants be reheated. Injection nozzles 16 leading into the laser room ensure that that F atoms and F2 molecules emerge from the reaction chamber 10 in a hot state and dealing with substances containing H2, D2 or H2 and / or D2, which are fed directly into the injection nozzles are injected, connect to the excited vibrational states of the HF and DF -Create molecules. An exhaust pipe 17 is centric and coaxial with the reaction space 10 and lays the laser room resp.

-cavity 21, which is directly connected to the injection nozzles 16, fixed. The lasing takes place along a lasing lying transversely to the gas flow Axis 21a instead. It is caused by the fact that the reaction chamber 10 in the atomic fluorine introduced into the laser room 21 with the directly into the laser room 21 the injection nozzles 16 injected H2 and / or D2 reacts.

A rear mirror 22 and a front or outlet mirror 23 are respectively on opposite sides of the laser room 21 for amplification and emission of Laser radiation that arises due to the HF and DF stimulation in the laser room 23, arranged.

The rear and front mirrors 22 and 23 consist essentially Made of 10.16 x 10.16 cm (4 "x 41l) square, spherical, concave-ground Mirrors with a radius of curvature of 299.72 cm (118 inches). Their mutual distance is 76.2 cm (30 inches). The front mirror 23 is an optical surface (optical flat) with a permeability of about 10%. The rear mirror 22 has one Reflectance of about 98%. Advantageously, other optical Systems including variable oscillators can be used.

In typical laser operation, D2 or H2 are in a nitrogen gas dilution continuously with a stoichiometric excess of F2 into the reaction space 10 pumped. The resulting mixture reached due to hypergolic reaction a temperature between 16000K and 30000K. At this temperature it dissociates excess fluorine. Here, a pressure between 413.68 bis is in the reaction chamber 10 2585.5 torr (8-50 psi) typical. The gases then flow through the injection nozzles 16, expanding to supersonic speeds, into the laser room 21, into which H2 or D2 is injected.

This is followed by the formation of HFH or DF and the reading. in the Laser room typically build pressures between 1 to 20 Torr. These pressures are suitable for laser operation. In the laser room 21, the static temperatures (static temperatures) of the supersonic flow vary between about 2000C and 9000C.

The exhaust gases exiting from the laser room 21 are along the exhaust gas pipe 17 and, if necessary, by a narrowing portion 24, which like a Venturi nozzle or a diffuser for pressure production downstream acts, guided. The exhaust gases can then be discharged into the atmosphere by pumping.

Instead, the exhaust gases can also be produced by chemical reaction, for example with titanium, or by a combination of condensation (to remove HF and / or DF), chemical reaction (to remove H2 and D2) and cryogenic absorption to remove of nitrogen.

In many individual experiments a continuous laser radiation was used obtained, maintaining operation for 2 hours in some cases.

According to the invention, a chemical laser is proposed, in atomic fluorine is produced by hot combustion or reaction products be intimately mixed with a fluorine compound, which then dissociates. It will no heat transfer via high temperature walls (Airey) or an electric arc (Spencer et aL) needed. This way, one time is made with the help of an electric No need for arc-pumped unit. Second is the difficulty of enlarging circumvented such a system to adapt to higher throughput rates.

Furthermore, the is pumped by combustion or reaction energy Laser independent of heat transfer through high temperature walls. A continuous one Operation is with known materials and cooling techniques for the walls of a reaction space can be produced for considerable periods of time. As already mentioned, there is also a simplification construction and a reduction in overall size and weight.

Therefore, the invention provides a with the help of combustion or Reaction energy-pumped chemical laser and a method for its operation ready to be operated continuously at high throughput rates for a long time can help without the difficulties that arise when operating with electrical arc or heat transfer. This in turn allows a simplification of the device and a cooling of the same at critical points. In fact, this results in significantly improved throughput rates and an extension the continuous operating time by several orders of magnitude.

PATENT CLAIMS:

Claims (8)

Claims: I.iChemical laser, characterized in that it essentially has the following: a combustion or reaction space (lo); individual services (11, 12, 13) for a separate supply of reaction participants, Diluents and a fluorine compound in the reaction space (lo) for production of atomic fluorine and fluorine-containing by-products due to a hypergolic Reaction; a laser cavity (21); Feeders for introducing the atomic Fluorine and the by-products from the reaction space (lo) into the laser space (21); one Means (16) to inject hydrogen and deuterium into the laser room (21) and means for removing the reactants from the laser room (21). 2. Laser according to claim 1, characterized in that the lasing Space (21a) is arranged transversely to the gas flow. 3. Laser according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that one Cooling device (15) is provided for the reaction space (lo). Li. Chemical laser, characterized in that it is essentially comprises: a combustion or reaction space (wo); individual lines (11, 12, 13) for a separate supply of diluents, hydrogen, deuterium and molecular: excess fluorine in the reaction space (lo) for thorough mixing and reaction, the reaction between the Hydrogen, dem Deuterium and the excess molecular fluorine is hypergolic and used to manufacture of atomic fluorine leads; a laser cavity (21); Feeders (16) for introducing the reactants from the reaction space (lo) into the laser space (21); means (16) for injecting hydrogen or deuterium into the laser room (21) and means for removing the reactants from the laser room (21). 5. Laser according to claim 4, characterized in that the lasing Space (21a) is arranged transversely to the gas flow. 6. Laser according to claim 4 or 5, characterized in that one Cooling device (15) is provided for the reaction space (lo). 7. Process for maintaining continuous operation a chemical laser, characterized in that it essentially has the following Process steps comprises: continuously introducing a fluorine compound and Compounds capable of hypergolic exothermic reaction and mixing same in einaibzw. in a combustion or reaction chamber (1o), wherein the Fluorine compound dissociated into aomaric fluorine; Introducing the atomic fluorine into one reading room or Cavity (21); Reacting atomic fluorine with hydrogen, Deuterium or a mixture thereof in the laser room or -cavity (21), to form HFX * and DF * and to create one Laser beam or output and removal of the reactants from the laser room (21). 8. The method according to claim 7, characterized in that an inert Diluent introduced into the reaction space (lo) and with the reactants is mixed. 9. The method according to any one of claims 7 or 8, characterized in that that the reaction space (lo) is cooled. lo. Process for maintaining continuous operation a chemical laser, characterized in that it has the following process steps comprises: continuously introducing hydrogen or deuterium into a stoichiometric Excess molecular fluorine and mixing it in a combustion respectively. Reaction space (lo), for the production of hydrogen or deuterium fluoride and atomic fluorine at a temperature above 1600 ° K; Forward the atomic Fluorine in a lasing space or cavity (21); Reacting the atomic fluorine in the loaded space (21) with hydrogen or deuterium for the production of HF or DFK and removing the reactants from the lasing space (21). 11. The method according to claim lo, characterized in that an inert Diluent introduced into the reaction space (lo) and with the reactants is mixed. 12. The method according to any one of claims 1o to 11, characterized in that that the reaction space (lo) is cooled. Blank page