JPS6229187A - Cross flow type laser device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To realize miniaturization of a device, simplification of its structure, uniformization of discharge, good repeatability of the device and its large output, by equipping a guide duct with a cooling duct and wind guiding cooling fins as cooling means. CONSTITUTION:A guide duct 16 is equipped with a cooling duct 15, through which cooling water flows in advance. The heat conveyed to the guide duct 16 is discharged from the cooling duct 15 to the cooling water. And, a laser medium, passing through a flowing fan 11, passes through the circulation passage formed between the first guide duct 12 and the second guide duct 16 again, and be supplied into a discharge electrode 13. With wind guiding cooling fins 14 arranged in plural lines on the guide duct 16, the laser medium is made to flow as a laminar and uniform flow, to be supplied into the discharge electrode 13. Then, the wind guiding cooling fins 14 play a role in cooling the laser medium too. Hence, the laser medium is made to circulate repeatedly through the circulation passage by the flowing fan 11.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Industrial Application] The present invention relates to a cross-flow type laser device in which the oscillation direction of the laser and the circulation direction of the laser medium are perpendicular to each other.

[Conventional technology]

FIG. 5 is a sectional view showing a conventional cross-flow type laser device described in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 59-152680. In the figure, (1) is a vacuum vessel, (2) is a propeller fan for circulating the laser medium, (3) is a guide duct, (4) is a radiator, (5) is a discharge electrode, and (6) is a guide duct.
) is the front mirror, and (7) is the rear mirror.

The laser medium is circulated within the circulation path in the direction of the arrow by a fan (2). Note that the circulation route in FIG. 5 is shown two-dimensionally for convenience of illustration, but the discharge electrode (5)
In the discharge section in which the laser medium is provided, the circulation path of the laser medium is formed so as to flow from the back side to the front side of the page.

Next, its operation will be explained. First, in the discharge section, the continuously supplied laser medium is continuously excited by the discharge between the discharge electrodes (5), and a population inversion region (7) is created. This energy is extracted to the outside as a laser beam (L) by an optical resonance lid consisting of a front mirror (6) and a rear mirror (7) arranged perpendicular to the flow of the laser medium. The laser medium, whose temperature has increased after passing through the
) Return to the entrance.

[Problem that the invention seeks to solve]

As mentioned above, in the conventional cross-flow type I/-ther device, a fan (2), a guide duct (3), a radiator (4), etc. are integrated into a vacuum container (1) to form a circulation path. Therefore, there are many places or corners in this circulation path where the laser medium expands or contracts. Therefore, the pressure loss of the laser medium here also increases.

Therefore, the fan (2) has to have a large output and is large in size, and the radiator (4) has also had to be large in size.

As a result, the efficiency of the entire laser device was reduced. Furthermore, it is important for the laser medium to pass between the discharge electrodes (5) with a uniform velocity distribution so that energy can be uniformly input into the laser medium, but with conventional devices it is not possible to obtain a uniform velocity distribution. was difficult.

This invention was made to solve the above-mentioned problems, and by providing a cooling duct and a cooling fin for wind guide in the guide duct as a cooling means, the device can be made smaller and the structure can be simplified. In addition, the aim is to obtain a cross-flow type laser device that can evenly inject energy into the laser medium by homogenizing the flow of the laser medium, thereby making the discharge uniform, increasing the repetition rate of the device, and increasing output. It is said that

[Means for solving problems]

The cross-flow type laser device according to the present invention uses a cylindrical or prismatic vacuum container, and a guide duct on the inner wall side of the vacuum container and a guide duct provided inside the container are used to control the laser medium. A circulation path is formed, a cross-flow fan whose axial length is approximately the same as the longitudinal length of the vacuum container is provided in the circulation path, and a discharge electrode that discharges in the circulation path is arranged in the longitudinal direction of the vacuum container. By providing a cooling duct in the guide duct and cooling fins for wind guide in the cooling duct as cooling means, the laser medium can be smoothly circulated and cooled.

[Effect]

In this invention, the guide duct is provided with a cooling duct, and this cooling duct is provided with cooling fins for wind guides, so that the device is miniaturized and when the laser medium passes through the cooling fins for wind guides, The flow of the laser medium is rectified by the effect of the wind guide, making it a laminar and homogeneous flow.

[Embodiments of the invention]

The invention will now be explained with reference to the drawings. First, FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing the main parts of a cross-flow type laser device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

This device has a cylindrical vacuum type (00), a through-flow type (11)
, first guide duct (12), second guide duct I-(+
6), discharge electrode (13), wind guide cooling fin (14)
) and a cooling duct (15). Here the cylindrical vacuum chamber! (10) is Xe, lie, N
-C plays the role of shielding the laser medium, which is a mixed gas of e, from the outside air. Further, the cross-flow fan (11) is provided inside the vacuum container (10), and its length in the axial direction is approximately the same as the length in the longitudinal direction of the vacuum container. Note that this cross-flow fan (11) is driven by a motor (not shown) provided outside the vacuum container (lO).

Here, when the cross-flow fan (11) rotates, the vacuum container (
The laser medium enclosed in 10) is supplied to the discharge electrode (13) through a circulation H path formed between the first guide duct (12) and the second guide duct (16). As shown in Fig. 2, cooling fins for wind guide (14
) are arranged in a plurality of rows, the second one being I-(+61), so that the flow of the laser medium is made laminar and homogeneous and is supplied to the discharge WAIN (13).

On the other hand, the laser medium heated after passing through the discharge electrode (13) passes through the circulation path formed between the first guide duct 1-(12) and the second guide duct (16) again, and passes through the fan (11). ) flows into.

In this circulation path, as mentioned above, one or more rows of wind guide cooling fins (4) are arranged in the second guide duct (16), so the heat stored in the laser medium is transferred to the wind guide. Second guide duct I via guide cooling fin (14)
− (16). This second guide duct (16) is preliminarily connected to a cooling duct (
15), the second guide duct (16
) is radiated to the cooling water from this cooling duct (15). The laser medium that has passed through the once-through fan (11) is then transferred to the first guide duct (12) and the second guide duct (12) again.
is supplied to the discharge electrode (13) through a circulation path formed between the id ducts 1-(1B). At this time, since multiple rows of wind guide cooling fins (14) are arranged in the second guide duct (Is) as described above, the flow of the laser medium is made laminar and homogeneous. It is supplied to the discharge electrode (13). At this time, the wind guide cooling fins (14) also play the role of cooling the laser medium. Thus, said laser medium is a cross-flow fan (11)
The recirculation is repeated through the circulation path.

In the discharge section, the laser medium that is sent sequentially is continuously excited by the discharge of the discharge electrode (13).
This creates a population inversion region in the target discharge portion.

Next, the energy stored in this population inversion region is extracted as laser light by an optical resonator disposed perpendicular to the flow of the laser medium.

FIG. 3 is a side view of a main part of an apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention, in which a cooling duct 1-(Is) is provided in a donut shape. FIG. 4 is a side view of a main part of an apparatus according to another embodiment of the present invention, in which two cooling devices (15a) are provided.

〔Effect of the invention〕

As described above, according to the present invention, the second guide duct (1
By providing the cooling duct (15) in 6), the radiator can be omitted. In addition, the multiple rows of wind guide cooling fins (14) provided in the second guide duct (16) improve cooling efficiency and have the effect of making the flow of the laser medium laminar and homogeneous. be. In this way, the present invention not only reduces the size of the device, but also makes the flow of the laser medium laminar and homogenized, thereby easily achieving high repetition rate, high output, and uniform discharge. A type laser device is obtained.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a structural perspective view showing essential parts of a laser device according to an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a detailed front view thereof, and FIG. 3 is a side view showing an embodiment of a cooling duct of the present invention. Fourth
The figure is a side view of a cooling duct 1- according to another embodiment, and FIG. 5 is a sectional view showing a conventional laser device. In the figure, (1) and (10) are vacuum vessels, (2) are propeller fans, (3) are guide ducts +-, +41 are radiators, (5) and (]3 are discharge electrodes, (ft3), (
71 is a mirror, (11) is a fan, (12) is a first guide guide, (14) is a cooling fin for wind guide, (15)
is the cooling duct I, and (16) is the first guide duct. Note that the same reference numerals in each figure indicate the same or corresponding parts.

Claims (2)

[Claims] (1) A circulation path for the laser medium is formed by an inner wall in the vacuum container and a guide duct, and a cross-flow fan is installed in the circulation path, with a part of the inner wall of the vacuum container serving as a rear casing and a part of the guide duct serving as a front casing. In addition to providing
A cross provided with a cooling means for cooling the laser medium in the circulation path and a discharge electrode in the longitudinal direction of the vacuum container, and in which the length in the axial direction of the once-through fan is approximately the same as the length in the longitudinal direction of the vacuum container. A cross-flow type laser device, characterized in that a cooling duct is provided within the guide duct as the cooling means. (2) The cross-flow type according to claim 1, characterized in that the cooling means includes a cooling duct provided within the guide duct, and a plurality of rows of wind guide cooling fins provided in the guide duct. laser equipment.