Abstract
The potential performance of an airbreathing gasdynamic laser (ABL) which burns common hydrocarbon fuels is investigated theoretically. In the ABL system examined air is compressed to a high pressure and enters the laser combustor at a temperature appropriate to an assumed value of polytropic efficiency. A hydrocarbon fuel is burned at the appropriate fuel-air ratio to produce the desired temperature and the products are expanded through two-dimensional minimum length contoured nozzles. The vibrational nonequilibrium flow through the nozzle is evaluated to determine the small signal gain and the maximum energy potentially available for extraction in the laser cavity downstream of the nozzles. Significantly high values are predicted for both parameters so that high specific power output should be feasible in a practical system. The theoretical predictions have been verified by making measurements of small signal gain in a small GDL rig, using stored fuels, oxidizer, and diluents.
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