A combined sheet laser amplifier open window assembly

Abstract

The present invention belongs to the field of high-power solid-state lasers, and specifically relates to a new type of combined sheet laser amplifier open window assembly. It includes a sealed transition box provided with an air intake device and an exhaust device, one end of the transition box is directly connected to the combined sheet laser amplifier, and the other end is connected to the spatial filter; the air intake device and the exhaust device are used to pass clean gas to purge the transition box. It effectively avoids the deposition of aerosol particles in the transition box, and prevents the amplifier neodymium glass sheet and the spatial filter lens from being contaminated by aerosols; it avoids the setting of the window assembly, the structure is simpler, and the installation and maintenance workload can be greatly reduced, the laser loss is effectively reduced, the output capacity is improved, and the manufacturing cost is reduced.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The invention belongs to the field of high-power solid lasers, and in particular relates to a novel combined sheet-shaped laser amplifier open window component. Background Art

[0002] The combined sheet laser amplifier is the core component of the inertial confinement fusion (ICF) laser driver. It mainly solves the problem of longitudinal energy flow transfer and conversion in the device. Its performance directly affects the output energy and power of the device and has an important impact on the overall performance of the system.

[0003] The core component of the amplifier, the Nd-doped phosphate glass, and the core component of the spatial filter adjacent to the amplifier, the spatial filter lens, work under high laser flux, which places extremely high demands on the cleanliness of the surface. The cleanliness level inside the amplifier and the transition pipe between the amplifier and the spatial filter (the working environment of the spatial filter lens) must be no less than ISO Class 5.

[0004] After the main laser emission inside the amplifier, a large number of aerosol particles will be generated on the surface of the internal structural parts of the clean box due to the irradiation of the xenon light. At this time, the clean gas purge system inside the amplifier starts to work, and the aerosol particles generated are quickly replaced out of the amplifier by the "upward blowing and downward exhaust" method of upper air intake and lower exhaust. However, there is no gas purge in the transition pipe between the amplifier and the spatial filter, so it is very important to achieve clean isolation at both ends of the amplifier. Once the seal is not tight, a large number of aerosol particles generated on the surface of the internal structural parts of the clean box of the amplifier due to the irradiation of the xenon light of the main laser emission will overflow into the transition pipe between the amplifier and the spatial filter lens. Since there is no clean gas purge in the transition pipe, long-term operation may cause a large amount of aerosol to be deposited in the transition pipe, attached to the surface of the spatial filter lens, and contaminate the spatial filter lens, inducing lens damage under the action of high-flux laser, and reducing the laser performance and life of the spatial filter lens.

[0005] In the prior art, the clean isolation between the clean box of the sheet amplifier and the spatial filters at both ends is achieved by using four 4×1 window components to achieve physical isolation. During use, the laser passes through the window glass on the amplifier and then enters the spatial filter through the transition pipe, which has the following problems:

[0006] 1. Due to the large height of the 4×2 combined sheet amplifier, the height of the 4×1 window assembly is too large. The original window assembly has a large width-to-thickness ratio, which is similar to a "thin plate". The stiffness in the thickness direction is insufficient, and the deformation is difficult to control. The sealing of the sealing surface after deformation cannot be guaranteed, and a complete clean isolation effect cannot be achieved. There is a risk that aerosol overflows the amplifier and contaminates the spatial filter lens, reducing the laser performance and life of the spatial filter lens.

[0007] 2. The existing 4×1 window assembly adopts the manual installation and calibration method of "hanging up and supporting down", and the installation and positioning process is cumbersome. In order to achieve the required sealing effect, the window assembly is pre-tightened and fixed with densely packed screws around, which brings a huge workload to the installation and maintenance of the amplifier. The installation, debugging, disassembly and maintenance process requires a lot of manpower and material resources, and the efficiency is low, which cannot meet the efficiency requirements of future large-scale laser device installation.

[0008] 3. For multi-pass amplification optical paths, the window glass will increase the B integral and increase the loss. High-power solid-state laser drivers usually use two-stage chip amplifiers, and each stage of the chip amplifier uses window glass components for clean sealing at both ends, which means that each sub-beam has 4 pieces of window glass, which will cause about 10% of the laser output capacity loss. It cannot meet the higher requirements of future high-power solid-state laser drivers for laser output capacity.

[0009] 4. The existing 4×1 window assembly includes 4 large-aperture fused quartz window glasses, a 4×1 window fixing frame, and sealing accessories, which are very expensive and cannot meet the economic requirements of large-scale multi-beam ICF high-power solid-state laser devices.

[0010] Therefore, there is an urgent need to develop a combined sheet laser amplifier open window component that can reduce laser loss and increase output capacity, ensure clean isolation, reduce installation and maintenance workload and improve efficiency, reduce the cost of large-scale multi-beam ICF high-power solid-state laser devices, and improve the economy of the device. Summary of the invention

[0011] The present invention discloses a novel combined sheet-shaped laser amplifier open window component, which solves the technical problems that the prior art achieves the sealing of the amplifier by setting a window component, the window component has a complex structure, low installation, debugging and disassembly and maintenance efficiency, poor sealing effect, and easy leakage causing aerosol to enter the transition box, thereby reducing the laser performance and life of the spatial filter lens.

[0012] In order to achieve the above-mentioned purpose, the specific technical scheme of the present invention is a combined sheet laser amplifier open window assembly, including a sealed transition box provided with an air intake device and an exhaust device, one end of the transition box is directly connected to the combined sheet laser amplifier, and the other end is connected to the spatial filter; the air intake device and the exhaust device are used to introduce clean gas to replace the gas in the transition box. Thus, by eliminating the window assembly of the combined sheet laser amplifier, and providing a sealed transition box to be sealed and connected with the two end windows of the combined sheet laser amplifier, and then providing an air intake device and an exhaust device for purging the transition box in the transition box, the setting of the window assembly is directly omitted, and the installation, positioning, and disassembly problems of the window assembly, as well as the technical problem of reduced laser performance and life of the spatial filter lens caused by poor sealing, are effectively avoided.

[0013] Furthermore, the transition box includes a transition duct and an insulating support seat arranged on both sides of the transition duct; the transition duct is connected to the spatial filter through a silicone rubber bellows connecting section; an inner sleeve is also arranged in the silicone rubber bellows connecting section; the top of the transition duct is located below the air intake device connection port, and a gas flow equalizer is also arranged.

[0014] Furthermore, the air intake device includes an air intake pipe and an air intake flange, and the air intake pipe is sealed and connected to the top of the transition duct through the air intake flange; the exhaust device includes an exhaust pipe and an exhaust flange, and the exhaust pipe is connected to the side wall of the transition duct through the exhaust flange.

[0015] Furthermore, the transition duct is rectangular.

[0016] Beneficial effects: 1. The window assembly is eliminated, and a sealed transition box is provided to seal and connect with the windows at both ends of the combined sheet laser amplifier. Then, an air intake device and an exhaust device for purging the transition box are provided in the transition box, thereby directly omitting the window assembly, making the overall structure simpler and more airtight, eliminating the need for frequent installation, commissioning and disassembly maintenance of the window assembly, and greatly improving the operation and maintenance efficiency of the device. In addition, clean isolation is more effectively ensured, and aerosol is more effectively prevented from entering the transition box when there is a problem with the sealing of the window assembly, and depositing in the transition box, thereby affecting the laser performance and life of the spatial filter lens. At the same time, laser loss can be effectively reduced to increase output capacity, and the cost of large-scale multi-beam ICF high-power solid-state laser devices can be reduced. A flexible butt-jointed silicone rubber bellows connection section is provided between the transition duct and the spatial filter box, thereby effectively compensating for installation deviation problems, and achieving high voltage isolation, better working condition tolerance, and higher safety. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0017] Figure 1 It is a schematic structural diagram of the combined sheet-shaped laser amplifier open window component of the present invention.

[0018] Figure 2 It is a top view of the combined sheet-shaped laser amplifier open window assembly of the present invention.

[0019] Figure 3 It is a cross-sectional view of the combined sheet-shaped laser amplifier open window component and the combined sheet-shaped laser amplifier described in the present invention.

[0020] Figure 4 It is a cross-sectional view of the combined sheet-shaped laser amplifier open window assembly of the present invention.

[0021] Explanation of the reference numerals: 1. Insulating support seat; 2. Transition duct; 3. Silicone rubber bellows connecting section; 4. Exhaust flange; 5. Sealing bottom cover plate; 6. Gas flow plate; 7. Inlet flange; 7.1. O-ring; 8. Inner sleeve; 9. Spatial filter lens; 10. Sheet amplifier clean box. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0022] In order to make the above-mentioned objects, features and advantages of the present invention more obvious and understandable, the specific embodiments of the present invention are described in detail below. In the following description, many specific details are set forth to facilitate a full understanding of the present invention. However, the present invention can be implemented in many other ways different from those described herein, and those skilled in the art can make similar improvements without violating the connotation of the present invention, so the present invention is not limited by the specific embodiments disclosed below.

[0023] See also Figure 1-Figure 4, a combined sheet laser amplifier open window assembly, including a sealed transition box provided with an air intake device and an exhaust device, the transition box is made of 06Cr19Ni10 material, and meets the requirements of light resistance, cleanliness and cleanliness maintenance. One end of the transition box is fixed to the two end windows of the sheet amplifier clean box 10 by screw flange compression sealing ring, and the other end is sealed and fixed to the spatial filter lens by a silicone rubber bellows connecting section 3; the air intake device and the exhaust device are used to pass clean gas to purge the transition box. In order to disperse the clean gas inside the box, an air guide equalizer is designed below the air inlet at the top of the box, and dense air guide holes are evenly distributed on the plate. The equalizer is installed in the transition duct by screws, which is convenient for clean cleaning and installation and disassembly. Thus, a sealed transition box is provided to seal and connect with the two end windows of the combined sheet laser amplifier, and then an air intake device and an exhaust device for purging the transition box are provided in the transition box, thereby directly omitting the setting of the window assembly, effectively avoiding the installation, positioning, and disassembly problems of the window assembly, as well as the technical problem of reduced laser performance and life of the spatial filter lens caused by poor sealing.

[0024] The transition box is mainly composed of a profile welded frame and a transition pipe 2 arranged on the outside. The transition pipe 2 is fixed to the frame by welding. The transition box also includes an insulating support seat 1 on both sides of the frame fixed by screws. The insulating support seat 1 supports and fixes the entire transition box by supporting on the supporting trusses on both sides of the transition box; further, the insulating support frame is a height-adjustable support frame, and the connection between the insulating support seat 1 and the support frame adopts a non-metallic epoxy plate to ensure the insulation withstand voltage requirements.

[0025] The transition duct 2 and the spatial filter are softly connected through the silicone rubber bellows connection section 3, thereby effectively compensating for the installation deviation problem, and realizing high voltage isolation, better working condition tolerance, and higher safety. The silicone rubber bellows connection section is also provided with an inner sleeve 8, which is made of 06Cr19Ni10 material. The transition duct 2 and the inner sleeve 8 are connected in a telescopic manner, thereby preventing the silicone rubber bellows connection section from being irradiated by the laser, and realizing high voltage isolation through the air gap; a large-diameter air intake device is added above the transition duct for air intake, and a gas flow plate 6 below the air inlet is used to homogenize the gas into a uniform laminar flow, and a large number of aerosol particles are excited by the main laser emission, and the aerosol generated inside the transition duct 2 and the aerosol diffused from the inside of the clean box into the transition duct 2 are quickly replaced as a whole, and are quickly discharged through the exhaust devices on both sides of the transition duct to prevent the amplifier neodymium glass sheet and the spatial filter lens from being contaminated by aerosol. A sealing bottom cover plate 5 is also laid at the bottom of the transition duct 2.

[0026] In order to make the air intake device and the exhaust device have a better purging effect on the transition duct 2, further, the air intake device is an air intake pipe, which is connected to the top of the transition duct 2 through the air intake flange 7; the exhaust device is an exhaust pipe, which is connected to the side wall of the transition duct 2 through the exhaust flange 4. The exhaust pipe is provided on both sides of the bottom of the transition duct 2 to facilitate the rapid replacement of gas. In order to further improve the sealing performance of the inlet and outlet pipes and the transition duct 2, O-rings 7.1 are also provided at the connection ends of the exhaust flange 4, the air intake flange 7 and the inlet and exhaust pipes.

[0027] The exhaust pipe is arranged at the bottom of the transition duct 2 .

[0028] The air inlet pipe is arranged at the bottom of the transition duct 2, and the exhaust pipe is arranged at the top.

[0029] In order to better seal the transition duct 2 with the window of the combined sheet laser amplifier, the shape of the transition duct 2 in the present invention can be adjusted according to the shape of the window, such as circular, prism, trapezoidal, etc. Preferably, the transition duct is designed to be a rectangle in the same shape as the window.

[0030] Working principle and working process: The installation of the transition box is completed by fixing the flange with screws at both ends and adjusting the height of the insulating support seat. After the main laser emission, the entire transition box is purged by quickly introducing clean gas into the air inlet pipe. At the same time, the purge system in the combined sheet laser amplifier is also quickly opened, and the aerosol particles in the combined sheet laser amplifier are purged and replaced. Even if there are some that are expanded and swept into the transition box, they will be blown away by the clean air purge device set on the transition box, that is, the clean gas blown in from the air inlet, and discharged from the exhaust port, so as to be replaced by the clean gas, thereby effectively avoiding the deposition of aerosol particles in the transition box and preventing the amplifier neodymium glass sheet and the spatial filter lens from being contaminated by aerosols.

[0031] Although embodiments of the present invention have been shown and described, it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that various changes, modifications, substitutions and variations may be made to the embodiments without departing from the principles and spirit of the present invention, and that the scope of the present invention is defined by the appended claims and their equivalents.

Claims

1. A combined sheet laser amplifier open window assembly, characterized in that: It comprises a sealed transition box provided with an air intake device and an exhaust device, one end of the transition box is directly connected to the combined sheet laser amplifier, and the other end is connected to the spatial filter; the air intake device and the exhaust device are used to introduce clean gas to replace the gas in the transition box; the transition box comprises a transition duct and insulating support seats arranged on both sides of the transition duct; the transition duct and the spatial filter are connected through a silicone rubber bellows connecting section; an inner sleeve is also arranged in the silicone rubber bellows connecting section; an air guide uniform flow plate is designed below the air inlet at the top of the box, and dense air guide holes are evenly distributed on the plate; a large-diameter air intake device is added above the transition duct for air intake, and the gas uniform flow plate below the air inlet is used to homogenize the gas into a uniform laminar flow; one end of the transition box is fixed to the two end windows of the sheet amplifier clean box through a screw flange pressing sealing ring, and the other end is sealed and fixed to the spatial filter lens through a silicone rubber bellows connecting section.

2. The combined sheet-shaped laser amplifier open window assembly according to claim 1, characterized in that: The air intake device comprises an air intake pipe and an air intake flange, wherein the air intake pipe is sealed and connected to the top of the transition duct via the air intake flange; the exhaust device comprises an exhaust pipe and an exhaust flange, wherein the exhaust pipe is connected to the side wall of the transition duct via the exhaust flange.

3. The combined sheet-type laser amplifier open window assembly according to any one of claims 1 to 2, characterized in that: The transition duct is rectangular.

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