The chemical oxygen iodine laser , or COIL , is an infrared chemical laser. Because infrared light, can not be seen with the naked eye. It is capable of generating output power up to megawatts in continuous mode. The output wavelength is 1315nm, the transition wavelength of iodine atoms.
The laser is fed with gas chlorine, iodine molecule, and an aqueous mixture of hydrogen peroxide and potassium hydroxide. The aqueous peroxide solution undergoes chemical reactions with chlorine, generating heat, potassium chloride, and oxygen in an excited state, a single delta of oxygen. Spontaneous transition of excited oxygen to the basic status of triplet sausage is prohibited to provide spontaneous spontaneous lifetime oxygen for about 45 minutes. This allows a single delta oxygen to transfer its energy to the iodine molecule injected into the gas stream; they are almost resonant with singlet oxygen, so the energy transfer during particle collisions is rapid. The excited iodine then experiences stimulated emission and lases at 1,315 Âμm in the laser optical resonator area.
The laser operates at relatively low gas pressure, but the gas flow must be close to the speed of sound at reaction time; even supersonic flow design is explained. Low pressure and fast flow make heat removal from easy amplifier media, compared to high strength solid-state lasers. The reaction products are potassium, water, and oxygen salts. Traces of chlorine and iodine are removed from the flue gas by a halogen cleaner.
COIL was developed by the US Air Force in 1977, for military purposes. However, its properties make it useful for industrial processing as well; the emission can be focused and can be transferred by optical fiber, because its wavelength is not much absorbed by the fused silica but well absorbed by the metal, making it suitable for laser cutting and drilling. Rapid cutting of stainless steels and the pursuit of COIL coupled with fibers has been demonstrated. In 1996, TRW Incorporated managed to get a tuft of hundreds of kilowatts of power that lasted for several seconds.
RADICL , Research Assessment, Chemical Laser Equipment Repair, is a 20 KW COIL laser tested by the United States Air Force in about 1998.
COIL is a component of the US military air laser and a sophisticated tactical laser program. On February 11, 2010, the weapon was successfully deployed to shoot down missiles off central California in a laser-made test on Boeing 747 aircraft taking off from the Mugu Point Naval Air Warfare Center (for more details, see Boeing YAL-1.)
All gas phase iodine laser (AGIL) is a similar construction that uses all-gas reagents, more suitable for aerospace applications.
ElectricOIL, or EOIL, offers the same type of iodine booster in alternative gas-electric hybrid variants.
Video Chemical oxygen iodine laser
See also
- List of laser articles
Maps Chemical oxygen iodine laser
References
External links
- Popular Science: Cannon Laser Fly
- Patent for 'High energy oxygen laser iodine oxygen air (COIL)'
- 'Laser jumbo' testing moves forward
Source of the article : Wikipedia
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