COIL Defense System with Segmented Cavity for High-Altitude Deployment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Chemical Oxygen-Iodine Lasers (COILs) face challenges in producing high-power, high-quality beams for long-distance propagation due to poor beam quality and the need for gravity to gather the BHP solution, making them unsuitable for space-based applications and requiring a vacuum pump, which complicates their operation and weight.
Innovation Solution
A COIL defense system is designed with a long laser cavity and a rotating disk-type Singlet Oxygen Generator (SOG) that operates at high altitudes, using a buffer gas like nitrogen, and eliminating the need for a vacuum pump by leveraging low atmospheric pressure, resulting in a lightweight system capable of producing a high-quality, Gaussian beam suitable for long-distance delivery without electric power.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If a conventional COIL with a short laser cavity is used, then the device complexity is reduced, but the beam quality deteriorates due to multi-transverse-mode oscillation
Solution Approach 1:
The laser cavity is segmented into multiple sections with different mirror configurations. The first section has mirrors with first curvatures and the second section has mirrors with second curvatures, allowing each section to contribute differently to beam quality while maintaining overall system simplicity
Solution Approach 2:
The system dynamically adjusts beam quality by utilizing the natural evolution of the beam through different cavity sections. The beam transforms from a rectangular profile in the first section to a more focused profile in the second section, achieving high beam quality without complex active control mechanisms
2Power
If a COIL is designed for high-power output, then the power increases, but the beam quality deteriorates due to large Fresnel number causing multi-transverse-mode oscillation
Solution Approach 1:
The high-power laser cavity is divided into two sections with different mirror curvatures. The first section handles the initial high-power generation while the second section refines the beam quality, allowing the system to maintain both high power and good beam quality simultaneously
Solution Approach 2:
Different sections of the laser cavity are given different optical properties through mirrors with different curvatures. The first section is optimized for power generation while the second section is optimized for beam quality, with each local region serving its specific function
3Reliability
If a vacuum pump is used to maintain low pressure in the laser cavity, then the COIL operation is enabled, but the device complexity and weight increase
Solution Approach 1:
The vacuum pump is completely removed from the system. Instead of actively pumping out gases, the invention allows the laser cavity to operate at atmospheric pressure by designing the optical system to work effectively with the natural gas flow and pressure conditions, extracting the unnecessary vacuum component
Solution Approach 2:
The laser cavity system is designed to be self-regulating at atmospheric pressure. The gas flow dynamics and optical path are configured to maintain stable operation without external vacuum control, allowing the system to serve itself without additional complexity
4Ease of operation
If the gas flow direction is orthogonal to the optical axis, then the COIL operation is simplified, but the beam quality deteriorates due to rectangular cross-section
Solution Approach 1:
The system accepts the rectangular cross-section from the first cavity section and dynamically transforms it into a circular-like profile in the second section through appropriate mirror curvatures, maintaining ease of operation while achieving good beam quality
Solution Approach 2:
The optical system transforms the beam profile from a two-dimensional rectangular cross-section to a more symmetric profile by utilizing the third dimension (longitudinal propagation) and appropriate mirror geometries, improving beam quality without changing the basic orthogonal flow configuration
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The system achieves high-power, high-quality beam extraction with reduced weight and operational complexity, enabling efficient long-distance beam propagation and eliminating the need for adaptive optics and vacuum pumps, making it suitable for high-altitude airship-based deployment.
Implementation Method 1
a singlet oxygen molecule (O2(1Δg)) is generated from the chemical reaction of chlorine gas with a BHP solution
Implementation Method 2
the excited iodine atom (I(2P3/2)) is produced by the energy transfer of O2(1Δg) to a basic iodine atom (I(2P1/2))
Implementation Method 3
a COIL runs the laser operation
Data Source
AI summary
The disclosed invention relates to a COIL based defense system which stays at an altitude of higher than 17 km. The defense system is comprised of a high-altitude airship which carries a COIL in which gases flow along the optical axis with several exit ports. Since the COIL can operate without a vacuum pump, it can be lightweighted.