A multi-channel time-sharing trigger pulse switch, laser system and laser generation method

Abstract

The present invention discloses a multi-channel time-sharing trigger pulse switch, a laser system and a laser generating method. The pulse switch comprises: a single-channel pulse switch, a time-sharing trigger, an insulating cylinder and a discharge chamber isolation disk. The number of single-channel pulse switches is greater than one, and the number of trigger pulses of the time-sharing trigger is the same as the number of single-channel pulse switches. The laser system comprises the pulse switch, a charging inductor, an energy storage capacitor, a peaking capacitor, a laser cavity and a laser generating device. The method comprises the following steps: after the charging inductor charges the energy storage capacitor, each single-channel pulse switch is time-sharingly turned on under the action of a time-sharing trigger pulse, the energy storage capacitor charges the peaking capacitor, thereby discharging to the laser cavity to form an excitation source and thereby generating laser. The present invention realizes the stable operation of a high-power pulse gas laser under high-power output conditions, effectively extending the working time of the laser during a single start-up.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of gas lasers, and more particularly to a multi-channel switch time-sharing triggered pulse gas laser. Background Art

[0002] High-power pulsed gas lasers have high output energy and narrow pulse width, and have high coupling efficiency when acting on materials. At the same time, they can break the molecular bonds of the materials. Therefore, they have important applications in the fields of new material preparation, material modification and material processing, and also occupy an important proportion in the energy optoelectronics industry.

[0003] Although high-power pulsed gas lasers have many technical advantages, they are technically difficult and progress in device development has been slow. Currently, the best commercial pulsed CO2 laser devices are only at the 5kW level, and the commercial excimer laser devices are only at the 200W level. The main reason for this situation is that the switching system cannot conduct high power and cannot work stably for a long time due to the technical performance limitations of the pulse forming system of such lasers. In order for such lasers to meet market application needs, commercial pulsed CO2 laser devices should reach the 50kW level, and commercial excimer laser devices should reach the 2kW level. Therefore, it is of great significance to further promote the development of high-power pulsed gas laser technology.

[0004] The electrodes in the laser discharge chamber of a high-power pulsed gas laser are typically around 1000 mm long and 50 mm wide. Ablation, caused by uneven discharge and insulation degradation, is a common problem. However, under the same conduction parameters, the equivalent inductance, discharge chamber structure, and heat dissipation constraints of the pulse power switch limit the size and shape of the switch electrode. The electrode area of ​​a pulse power switch is typically only around 50 × 30 mm, several dozen times smaller than that of the laser discharge electrode. Although pulse power switch electrode materials are superior to those of laser discharge electrodes, the small space and discharge area result in harsher operating conditions for pulse power switches. Therefore, the development of high-power pulsed gas laser technology primarily relies on the development of pulse power switch technology. As the core component of high-power pulsed gas lasers, pulse power switches must withstand instantaneous currents of several kA during operation, with the electrode surface reaching temperatures exceeding 10,000 degrees Celsius. Expansion of the discharge plasma can also cause insulation problems. In short, under high current conditions, the discharge space conditions of the switch electrode are extremely harsh, which directly leads to reduced switch performance, inevitably affecting laser output stability and even causing abnormal laser shutdown.

[0005] In high-power gas lasers, multiple thyristor switches are generally used in parallel to increase the total excitation power when each thyristor is fully loaded. Alternatively, several thyristors can be used to split the power at a certain power level to reduce the workload of a single tube. Alternatively, multiple thyristor switches can be used in a rotating working mode. However, all three technical solutions use multiple thyristors, which not only complicates the system structure and significantly increases the device cost, but also limits the operating frequency of the thyristor and has poor shock resistance, which can easily cause instability in the laser system.

[0006] Therefore, how to provide a pulse switch and a pulse gas laser to achieve stable and reliable operation of a high-power pulse gas laser under high-power laser output conditions is an urgent problem that needs to be solved by those skilled in the art. Summary of the Invention

[0007] In view of this, the present invention provides a multi-channel time-sharing triggered pulse switch and a pulse gas laser. By designing a new structure of a pulse power switch that plays a key role in the operating performance of the laser and adopting an intermittent working mode, the high-power pulse gas laser can achieve stable operation under high-power output conditions.

[0008] In order to achieve the above object, the present invention adopts the following technical solutions:

[0009] A multi-channel time-sharing trigger pulse switch, comprising: a single-channel pulse switch and a time-sharing trigger, wherein the number of the single-channel pulse switches is greater than one, and the number of trigger pulses of the time-sharing trigger is the same as the number of the single-channel pulse switches;

[0010] Each of the single-channel pulse switches includes a high-voltage electrode and a ground electrode, the high-voltage electrodes of two adjacent single-channel pulse switches are independent of each other, and the ground electrodes of two adjacent single-channel pulse switches are electrically connected;

[0011] The trigger pulse of the time-sharing trigger is respectively transmitted to each of the single-channel pulse switches to control the on-time and off-time of each of the single-channel pulse switches.

[0012] Preferably, the multi-channel time-sharing trigger pulse switch further includes an insulating cylinder and a discharge chamber isolation disk;

[0013] Each of the single-channel pulse switches and time-sharing triggers is arranged in the insulating cylinder, and the discharge chamber isolation disk divides the insulating cylinder into discharge chambers. The number of the discharge chamber isolation disks and the discharge chambers is greater than 1. The discharge chamber serves as the discharge chamber of the single-channel pulse switch, and the number of the discharge chambers is the same as the number of the single-channel pulse switches.

[0014] Preferably, each of the single-channel pulse switches further comprises: a rotating electrode, a rotating shaft and an insulating connector;

[0015] The rotating electrode is fixed on the rotating shaft; two adjacent rotating shafts are fixedly connected by the insulating connector;

[0016] The trigger pulse of the time-sharing trigger is electrically connected to the rotating electrode.

[0017] Preferably, the high-voltage electrode is provided at the upper end of each of the single-channel pulse switches, the ground electrode is provided at the lower end of each of the single-channel pulse switches, and the rotating motor is provided in the middle of each of the single-channel pulse switches.

[0018] Preferably, the single-channel pulse switch also includes an air inlet and an air outlet, the air inlet is arranged in the gap between the high-voltage electrode and the rotating electrode, and the air outlet is arranged in the gap between the rotating electrode and the ground electrode, the air inlet and the air outlet are used to fill gas, and the channel between the air inlet and the air outlet is an air flow channel, and the air flow channels of each single-channel pulse switch are independent of each other.

[0019] Preferably, the factors determining the on-time and off-time of each single-channel pulse switch include: laser on-energy, pulse switch electrode area and pulse switch cooling condition.

[0020] A multi-channel time-sharing triggered pulse laser system, wherein the multi-channel time-sharing triggered pulse switch further comprises a charging inductor, an energy storage capacitor, a peaking capacitor, and a laser cavity; the multi-channel time-sharing triggered pulse switch, the charging inductor, and the peaking capacitor are all connected to the energy storage capacitor, and the laser cavity is connected to the peaking capacitor;

[0021] The charging inductor is used to charge the energy storage capacitor;

[0022] The time-sharing trigger is connected to the energy storage capacitor and is used to send trigger pulses in a time-sharing manner;

[0023] Each of the single-channel pulse switches is connected to the time-sharing trigger and is configured to be turned on in a time-sharing manner under the action of the trigger pulse;

[0024] The energy storage capacitor is connected to the multi-channel time-sharing trigger pulse switch, and is used to store electric energy and charge the peaking capacitor when each of the single-channel pulse switches is turned on;

[0025] The peaking capacitor is used to discharge into the laser cavity;

[0026] The laser cavity is used to form an excitation source.

[0027] Preferably, the multi-channel time-sharing triggered pulse laser system further includes a laser generating device, and the laser generating device is used to generate laser under the action of the excitation source.

[0028] A multi-channel time-sharing triggered pulse laser generation method comprises the following steps:

[0029] S1. The charging inductor charges the energy storage capacitor;

[0030] S2. After charging is completed, the time-sharing trigger sends the trigger pulse in a time-sharing manner;

[0031] S3. Each single-channel pulse switch is turned on in a time-sharing manner under the action of the trigger pulse;

[0032] S4. The energy storage capacitor charges the peaking capacitor when each of the single-channel pulse switches is turned on;

[0033] S5. The peaking capacitor discharges into the laser cavity to form an excitation source;

[0034] S6. The laser generating device generates laser under the action of the excitation source.

[0035] Preferably, the waveforms of the trigger pulses are the same.

[0036] It can be seen from the above technical solutions that, compared with the prior art, the present invention discloses a multi-channel time-sharing trigger pulse switch, a laser system and a laser generation method, and proposes a multi-channel switch structure and a time-sharing triggering technical solution. By rotating two or more independent switch channels, problems such as electrode ablation and heat dissipation are solved, and the electrode profile, the discharge space insulation and the switch insulation structure are maintained, thereby achieving stable operation of the high-power pulse gas laser under high-power output conditions, effectively extending the laser working time during one startup, and thus improving the use quality of the high-power gas laser. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0037] In order to more clearly illustrate the embodiments of the present invention or the technical solutions in the prior art, the following briefly introduces the drawings required for use in the embodiments or the description of the prior art. Obviously, the drawings described below are merely embodiments of the present invention. For ordinary technicians in this field, other drawings can be obtained based on the provided drawings without paying any creative work.

[0038] Figure 1 The accompanying drawing is a schematic diagram of a multi-channel switch structure provided by the present invention;

[0039] Figure 2 The accompanying drawing is a side view of a multi-channel switch structure provided by the present invention;

[0040] Figure 3 The accompanying drawing is a schematic diagram of the timing distribution of the trigger pulse of the time-sharing trigger provided by the present invention;

[0041] Figure 4 The accompanying drawing is a schematic diagram of a main discharge system of a multi-channel time-sharing triggered pulse gas laser provided by the present invention;

[0042] Among them, 1-high voltage electrode, 2-discharge chamber isolation disk, 3-intermediate electrode, 4-ground electrode, 5-air inlet, 6-rotating shaft, 7-rotating shaft insulation connector, 8-air outlet, 9-insulating cylinder. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0043] The following will clearly and completely describe the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only part of the embodiments of the present invention, not all of the embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by ordinary technicians in this field without making creative efforts are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0044] The embodiment of the present invention discloses a multi-channel time-sharing trigger pulse switch, such as Figure 1 , including: a single-channel pulse switch and a time-sharing trigger, the number of the single-channel pulse switches is greater than 1, and the number of trigger pulses of the time-sharing trigger is the same as the number of the single-channel pulse switches;

[0045] Each single-channel pulse switch includes a high-voltage electrode and a ground electrode, wherein two adjacent high-voltage electrodes are independent of each other, and two adjacent ground electrodes are electrically connected;

[0046] The trigger pulse of the time-sharing trigger is respectively transmitted to each single-channel pulse switch to control the on time and off time of each single-channel pulse switch.

[0047] In order to further implement the above technical solution, a multi-channel time-sharing trigger pulse switch also includes an insulating cylinder and a discharge chamber isolation disk;

[0048] Each single-channel pulse switch and time-sharing trigger is arranged in the insulating cylinder. The discharge chamber isolation disk divides the insulating cylinder into discharge chambers. The number of discharge chamber isolation disks and discharge chambers is greater than 1. The discharge chamber serves as the discharge chamber of the single-channel pulse switch. The number of discharge chambers is the same as the number of single-channel pulse switches.

[0049] In order to further implement the above technical solution, each single-channel pulse switch further includes: a rotating electrode, a rotating shaft and an insulating connector;

[0050] The rotating electrode is fixed on the rotating shaft; two adjacent rotating shafts are fixedly connected by an insulating connector;

[0051] The trigger pulse of the time-sharing trigger is electrically connected to the rotating electrode.

[0052] The high voltage electrode is arranged at the upper end of each single-channel pulse switch, the ground electrode is arranged at the lower end of each single-channel pulse switch, and the rotating motor is arranged in the middle of each single-channel pulse switch.

[0053] In order to further implement the above technical solutions, Figure 2 The single-channel pulse switch also includes an air inlet and an air outlet. The air inlet is arranged in the gap between the high-voltage electrode and the rotating electrode, and the air outlet is arranged in the gap between the rotating electrode and the ground electrode. The air inlet and the air outlet are used to fill gas. The channel between the air inlet and the air outlet is an air flow channel. The air flow channels of each single-channel pulse switch are independent of each other.

[0054] In this embodiment, for each channel, the upper and lower electrodes and the middle electrode form two upper and lower gaps, and the gases in the upper and lower gaps are independent of each other; for N channels, the gas path is 2N.

[0055] The gas in a single discharge gap air flow channel has a high flow velocity and high pressure.

[0056] In order to further implement the above technical solutions, Figure 3 The factors determining the on-time and off-time of each single-channel pulse switch include: laser conduction energy, pulse switch electrode area and pulse switch cooling condition.

[0057] The on-time determines the consumption of a single channel, and the off-time determines the recovery ability of the discharge channel. The on-time and off-time mainly depend on the discharge intensity. In view of the complexity and dispersion of the structure and discharge, the specific time range is determined by using experimental data to determine the working time and off-time.

[0058] In this embodiment, the amplitude of the trigger pulse of the time-sharing trigger is 30-50 kV, and the on-time and off-time of each single-channel pulse switch are 300-600 seconds.

[0059] In this embodiment, the time-sharing trigger distributes the timing of each channel conduction according to the laser conduction energy, the electrode area and the cooling conditions of each discharge chamber.

[0060] In practical applications, the trigger pulse shapes of each channel are the same, the trigger pulse amplitude is 30-50KV, and the current is on the order of hundreds of milliamperes.

[0061] A multi-channel time-sharing trigger pulse switch has an integrated structure and high integration. The discharge system is an open structure that can operate at a higher frequency and is more resistant to large current shocks caused by short circuits. It is low cost. The electrodes are made of ablation-resistant and high-temperature resistant materials and have a long service life. The electrodes are replaceable and easy to maintain.

[0062] A multi-channel time-sharing triggered pulse laser system, such as Figure 4 A multi-channel time-sharing trigger pulse switch further includes a charging inductor, an energy storage capacitor, a peaking capacitor, and a laser cavity; the multi-channel time-sharing trigger pulse switch, the charging inductor, and the peaking capacitor are all connected to the energy storage capacitor, and the laser cavity is connected to the peaking capacitor;

[0063] Charging inductor, used to charge the energy storage capacitor;

[0064] The time-sharing trigger is connected to the energy storage capacitor and is used to send trigger pulses in a time-sharing manner;

[0065] Each single-channel pulse switch is connected to a time-sharing trigger and is used for conducting in a time-sharing manner under the action of a trigger pulse;

[0066] The energy storage capacitor is connected to the multi-channel time-sharing trigger pulse switch to store electrical energy and charge the peaking capacitor when each single-channel pulse switch is turned on;

[0067] Peaking capacitor, used to discharge into the laser cavity;

[0068] The laser cavity is used to form an excitation source.

[0069] In order to further implement the above technical solution, a multi-channel time-sharing triggered pulse laser system also includes a laser generating device, which is used to generate laser under the action of an excitation source.

[0070] A multi-channel time-sharing triggered pulse laser generation method comprises the following steps:

[0071] S1. The charging inductor charges the energy storage capacitor;

[0072] S2. After charging is completed, the time-sharing trigger sends the trigger pulse in a time-sharing manner;

[0073] S3. Each single-channel pulse switch is turned on in a time-sharing manner under the action of the trigger pulse;

[0074] S4. The energy storage capacitor charges the peaking capacitor when each single-channel pulse switch is turned on;

[0075] S5. The peaking capacitor discharges into the laser cavity to form an excitation source;

[0076] S6. The laser generating device generates laser under the action of the excitation source.

[0077] In order to further implement the above technical solution, the waveforms of the trigger pulses are the same.

[0078] In this embodiment, a multi-channel time-sharing trigger pulse switch sets up three discrete switch channels that are turned on in rotation and are in the same discharge loop. During operation, under the action of trigger pulses T1, T2, and T3, discrete channels S1, S2, and S3 are intermittently turned on. The high-voltage electrode and ground electrode of each discrete channel are 30mmX50mm in size and made of thoriated tungsten alloy. The middle rotating electrode is a 50mm diameter cerium-tungsten alloy cylinder. The gaps between the two are 1.5mm, the air pressure is 0.2Mpa, and the filling gas is nitrogen. The switch conduction power of the above design parameters can reach 50kW; the laser frequency is 500Hz, each pulse is 2ms, and the trigger pulses T1, T2, and T3 are set to a pulse width of 10us. The first pulse train is 300s long, with a total of 150k pulses. After an interval of 600s, the second pulse train is 300s long. The three trigger waveforms of T1, T2, and T3 are completely consistent. T2 has a 300s delay relative to T1, and T3 has a 300s delay relative to T2. This design achieves stable and reliable operation of the 2kW pulsed CO2 laser.

[0079] The various embodiments in this specification are described in a progressive manner, with each embodiment focusing on the differences from other embodiments. Reference can be made to the common and similar parts between the various embodiments. For the devices disclosed in the embodiments, since they correspond to the methods disclosed in the embodiments, the description is relatively simple, and the relevant parts can be referred to the method description.

[0080] The above description of the disclosed embodiments is intended to enable one skilled in the art to implement or use the present invention. Various modifications to these embodiments will be readily apparent to one skilled in the art, and the general principles defined herein may be implemented in other embodiments without departing from the spirit or scope of the present invention. Therefore, the present invention is not limited to the embodiments shown herein but is intended to conform to the widest scope consistent with the principles and novel features disclosed herein.

Claims

1. A multi-channel time-sharing trigger pulse switch, characterized in that: include: Single-channel pulse switches and time-sharing triggers, the number of the single-channel pulse switches is greater than 1, and the number of trigger pulses of the time-sharing trigger is the same as the number of the single-channel pulse switches; Each of the single-channel pulse switches includes a high-voltage electrode and a ground electrode, the high-voltage electrodes of two adjacent single-channel pulse switches are independent of each other, and the ground electrodes of two adjacent single-channel pulse switches are electrically connected; The trigger pulse of the time-sharing trigger is respectively transmitted to each of the single-channel pulse switches to control the on time and off time of each of the single-channel pulse switches; Each of the single-channel pulse switches further comprises: a rotating electrode, a rotating shaft and an insulating connector; The rotating electrode is fixed on the rotating shaft; two adjacent rotating shafts are fixedly connected by the insulating connector; The trigger pulse of the time-sharing trigger is electrically connected to the rotating electrode; The single-channel pulse switch further includes an air inlet and an air outlet, wherein the air inlet is provided in the gap between the high-voltage electrode and the rotating electrode, and the air outlet is provided in the gap between the rotating electrode and the ground electrode; The air inlet and the air outlet are used to fill gas, and the channel between the air inlet and the air outlet is an air flow channel. The air flow channels of each single-channel pulse switch are independent of each other; for each channel, the upper and lower electrodes and the middle electrode form two upper and lower gaps, and the gases in the upper and lower gaps are independent of each other; for N channels, the gas path is 2N.

2. A multi-channel time-sharing trigger pulse switch according to claim 1, characterized in that: Also included are an insulating cylinder and a discharge chamber isolation disk; Each of the single-channel pulse switches and time-sharing triggers is arranged in the insulating cylinder, and the discharge chamber isolation disk divides the insulating cylinder into discharge chambers. The number of the discharge chamber isolation disks and the discharge chambers is greater than 1. The discharge chamber serves as the discharge chamber of the single-channel pulse switch, and the number of the discharge chambers is the same as the number of the single-channel pulse switches.

3. The multi-channel time-sharing trigger pulse switch according to claim 1, characterized in that: The high-voltage electrode is arranged at the upper end of each of the single-channel pulse switches, the ground electrode is arranged at the lower end of each of the single-channel pulse switches, and the rotating electrode is arranged in the middle of each of the single-channel pulse switches.

4. The multi-channel time-sharing trigger pulse switch according to claim 1, characterized in that: The factors determining the on-time and off-time of each single-channel pulse switch include: the laser on-energy, the pulse switch electrode area and the pulse switch cooling condition.

5. A multi-channel time-sharing triggered pulse laser system, comprising a multi-channel time-sharing triggered pulse switch according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that: It also includes a charging inductor, an energy storage capacitor, a peaking capacitor and a laser cavity; the multi-channel time-sharing trigger pulse switch, the charging inductor and the peaking capacitor are all connected to the energy storage capacitor, and the laser cavity is connected to the peaking capacitor; The charging inductor is used to charge the energy storage capacitor; The time-sharing trigger is connected to the energy storage capacitor and is used to send trigger pulses in a time-sharing manner; Each of the single-channel pulse switches is connected to the time-sharing trigger and is configured to be turned on in a time-sharing manner under the action of the trigger pulse; The energy storage capacitor is connected to the multi-channel time-sharing trigger pulse switch, and is used to store electric energy and charge the peaking capacitor when each of the single-channel pulse switches is turned on; The peaking capacitor is used to discharge into the laser cavity; The laser cavity is used to form an excitation source.

6. A multi-channel time-sharing triggered pulse laser system according to claim 5, characterized in that: It also includes a laser generating device, which is used to generate laser under the action of the excitation source.

7. A multi-channel time-sharing triggered pulse laser generation method, comprising a multi-channel time-sharing triggered pulse laser system according to any one of claims 5 to 6, characterized in that: The following steps are involved: S1. The charging inductor charges the energy storage capacitor; S2. After charging is completed, the time-sharing trigger sends the trigger pulse in a time-sharing manner; S3. Each single-channel pulse switch is turned on in a time-sharing manner under the action of the trigger pulse; S4. The energy storage capacitor is charged to the peaking capacitor when each of the single-channel pulse switches is turned on; S5. The peaking capacitor discharges into the laser cavity to form an excitation source; S6. The laser generating device generates laser under the action of the excitation source.

8. A multi-channel time-sharing triggered pulse laser generation method according to claim 7, characterized in that: The waveforms of the trigger pulses are the same.

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