Closed-cycle gasdynamic CO2laser employing a gas separator

Abstract

A closed-cycle gasdynamic CO2 laser is proposed which employs selective heating of the nitrogen, a supersonic mixer, a heat exchanger, and a gas separating device of the membrane type. Calculations are reported for a cascade of membrane-type elements to separate the gases, providing for cw operation of the gasdynamic laser under specified conditions. Estimates of the efficiency of a laser system of this type give η = 5.4% for lasing in the 10.6μ band and η = 0.6% in the 16μ band.