US3908175A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Radial flow gas dynamic laser
Assignee: United States Department of the Air Force
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Filing: 1974-05-30
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Granted: 1975-09-23
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Expires: 1994-05-30
Abstract
Abstract This unique gas dynamic laser provides outward radial supersonic flow from a toroidal shaped stacked array of a plurality of nozzles, through a diffuser having ring shaped and/or linear shaped vanes, and through a cavity which is cylindrical and concentric with the stacked array, with the resultant laser beam passing through the housing parallel to the central axis of the diffuser which is coincident with the axis of the gas dynamic laser. Therefore, greater beam extraction flexibility is attainable, because of fewer flow shock disturbances, as compared to the conventional unidirectional flow gas dynamic laser in which unidirectional supersonic flow sweeps through a rectangular cavity and is exhausted through a two-dimensional diffuser.
Inventors
- 👤 Frederick C Damm
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-27 22:14
CPC Classifications
H; H01; H01S; H01S3/00; H01S3/09; H01S3/095; H01S3/0951; H01S3/0953
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 8
Claim 1
Independent Claim
327 words
In a gas dynamic laser, for use with a source of a gaseous medium that is suitable for lasing, having a combustion chamber component connectable to said gaseous lasing medium source, a nozzle array component, comprising a plurality of nozzles each of which has an inlet and an outlet, downstream of and in communication with said combustion chamber component, a cavity component downstream of and in communication with said nozzle array component, a diffuser component downstream of and in communication with said cavity component, an exhaust component downstream of and in communication with said diffuser component, and a housing suitable for containing the aforesaid components, the improvement comprising: a. a nozzle array component of toroidal shape, with said plurality of nozzles thereof arranged in a stack and forming an external surface and a cylindrical shaped internal surface; b. a diffuser component surrounding, and in concentric spaced apart relationship with, said external surface of said toroidal shaped nozzle array component; c. a cavity component of annular type shape between said diffuser component and said external surface of said toroidal shaped nozzle array component; d. a plurality of suitably positioned mirrors disposed within the annular type shape cavity component between said diffuser component and said external surface of said toroidal shaped nozzle array component; e. and, a housing having an outlet in that portion thereof which contains said annular type shaped cavity component, to permit an output laser beam emitted by said lasing action of said gaseous medium suitable for lasing, and with said housing also having at least one other outlet located in that portion thereof which contains said exhaust component, to permit the exhaust of the gaseous medium; whereby when said combustion chamber component is connected to a source of gaseous medium that is suitable for lasing, and when said gaseous medium is combusted therein and is subsequently passed through said toroidal shaped nozzle array component, an outwardly radial supersonic flow of the gaseous medium is attained.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
327 words
In a gas dynamic laser, for use with a source of a gaseous medium that is suitable for lasing, having a combustion chamber component connectable to said gaseous lasing medium source, a nozzle array component, comprising a plurality of nozzles each of which has an inlet and an outlet, downstream of and in communication with said combustion chamber component, a cavity component downstream of and in communication with said nozzle array component, a diffuser component downstream of and in communication with said cavity component, an exhaust component downstream of and in communication with said diffuser component, and a housing suitable for containing the aforesaid components, the improvement comprising: a. a nozzle array component of toroidal shape, with said plurality of nozzles thereof arranged in a stack and forming an external surface and a cylindrical shaped internal surface; b. a diffuser component surrounding, and in concentric spaced apart relationship with, said external surface of said toroidal shaped nozzle array component; c. a cavity component of annular type shape between said diffuser component and said external surface of said toroidal shaped nozzle array component; d. a plurality of suitably positioned mirrors disposed within the annular type shape cavity component between said diffuser component and said external surface of said toroidal shaped nozzle array component; e. and, a housing having an outlet in that portion thereof which contains said annular type shaped cavity component, to permit an output laser beam emitted by said lasing action of said gaseous medium suitable for lasing, and with said housing also having at least one other outlet located in that portion thereof which contains said exhaust component, to permit the exhaust of the gaseous medium; whereby when said combustion chamber component is connected to a source of gaseous medium that is suitable for lasing, and when said gaseous medium is combusted therein and is subsequently passed through said toroidal shaped nozzle array component, an outwardly radial supersonic flow of the gaseous medium is attained.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
24 words
A gas dynamic laser, as set forth in claim 1, wherein said diffuser includes a plurality of linear shaped vanes arranged about the cavity.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
24 words
A gas dynamic laser, as set forth in claim 1, wherein said diffuser includes a plurality of ring shaped vanes arranged about the cavity.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
35 words
A gas dynamic laser, as set forth in claim 1, wherein said diffuser includes a plurality of both ring shaped vanes and linear shaped vanes arranged about the cavity, thereby forming quadrangular shaped diffuser throats.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
35 words
A gas dynamic laser, as set forth in claim 4, wherein said diffuser ring shaped vanes and said diffuser linear shaped vanes are so arranged about the cavity as to form rectangular shaped diffuser throats.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
35 words
A gas dynamic laser, as set forth in claim 5, wherein said diffuser ring shaped vanes and said diffuser linear shaped vanes are so arranged about the cavity as to form square shaped diffuser throats.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
43 words
A gas dynamic laser, as set forth in claim 1, wherein said housing has an inlet, in that portion thereof which contains the cavity, to permit the entry into the cavity of a laser beam for the purpose of amplifying said laser beam.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
US3842363A
Cited
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1978-09-22 | 1979-03-24 | 1979-09-23 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1982-09-22 | 1983-03-24 | 1983-09-23 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1986-09-22 | 1987-03-24 | 1987-09-23 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |