Experimental performance of a 15 kilowatt CW CO2 electric discharge laser
Abstract
The fabrication and initial experimental checkout of an Electric Discharge Laser (EDL) System is described. This continuous wave carbon dioxide laser extracts power in excess of 12 kilowatts routinely at an electrical discharge efficiency of 27% and a mass flow efficiency in excess of 100 Kw/1bm/sec. With the current resonator optics, the output intensity distribution is circular, uniform and repeatable to within 5%. This laser has performed over 8,000 experiments ranging from 1 to 10 seconds in duration.
- Publication:
-
Final Report
- Pub Date:
- November 1977
- Bibcode:
- 1977afap.rept.....R
- Keywords:
-
- Carbon Dioxide Lasers;
- Continuous Wave Lasers;
- Electric Discharges;
- Aerodynamic Configurations;
- Mixing;
- Optical Resonance;
- Targets;
- Lasers and Masers