Laser Ablation Head With Rotating Prism Beam Scanning
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Laser ablation tools face challenges in restricted areas like gas turbine engines due to fragility and limited control of existing MEMS and diffractive optical systems, which are expensive and prone to failure or insufficient beam intensity when used in enclosed environments.
Innovation Solution
A laser ablation tool incorporating a pulsed laser source, a rotating prism, and a moveable mirror within a housing coupled to a borescope or flexible robot arm, allowing for controlled beam scanning across a target area using a rotating prism and moveable mirror mechanism, enabling increased area coverage and robustness.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a MEMS device is used to manipulate the laser beam, then the beam can be controlled and shaped, but the device becomes fragile and expensive, and is liable to fail when knocked or short circuit when dust enters
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the electrical MEMS actuation system with a purely mechanical rotation mechanism. The mirror is rotated mechanically (e.g., by a motor or manual adjustment) to change beam direction, eliminating electrical components that can short-circuit. This substitution maintains beam control capability while removing the fragility and electrical failure risks associated with MEMS devices.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts the laser source from the confined ablation head and positions it externally. Only the optical fiber and simple optical elements (mirror, lens) remain in the head. This extraction removes the complex MEMS actuation system from the restricted environment, leaving only robust, simple mechanical components that can withstand dust and physical contact.
2Ease of operation
If a fixed diffractive optical element is used to shape the beam, then the beam profile can be controlled, but the system cannot be adjusted for different damage sizes and spreads the beam over a large area reducing intensity
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the fixed diffractive optical element with a dynamic system using a rotatable mirror. By rotating the mirror to different angles, the beam can be directed to different areas and the effective spot size can be controlled by the mirror's focal properties and rotation speed. This dynamic adjustment allows adaptation to different damage sizes without being constrained by a fixed optical pattern.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the operational parameters of the optical system by using a rotatable mirror with specific focal length and rotation speed. The mirror's focal length determines the beam spot size, while its rotation speed controls the scanning rate. These parameters can be adjusted to match different ablation requirements, providing versatility without spreading the beam energy too thin.
3Reliability
If the laser source is positioned external to the arm, then the ablation head can be more compact and robust, but the optical fiber coupling must efficiently transmit the beam
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses an optical fiber as an intermediary to transmit the laser beam from the external source to the ablation head. The fiber acts as a flexible conduit that isolates the complex laser source from the restricted ablation environment while maintaining efficient energy transmission. This intermediary solution allows the head to remain compact and robust without requiring direct integration of the laser source.
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 solution provides a more robust and controllable laser ablation tool capable of accurately scanning larger areas with increased beam intensity, overcoming the limitations of existing systems by using a rotating prism and moveable mirror to direct the laser beam effectively in restricted spaces.
Implementation Method 1
a pulsed laser source that travels along an axis of light
Implementation Method 2
a prism that rotates by use of a rotation mechanism with the prism being located in a plane perpendicular to the axis of light from the laser source
Implementation Method 3
a mirror that is moveable in at least one direction and which is set at an angle relative to the axis of light from the laser source
Implementation Method 4
Laser ablation uses a beam from a laser to heat up and vaporise a selected area of the component
Implementation Method 5
heat up and vaporise a selected area of the component
Data Source
AI summary
A laser ablation tool including, a pulsed laser source, a prism that rotates in a plane perpendicular to light from the laser source, and a mirror that is moveable in at least one direction and which is set at an angle relative to the light from the laser source.