Kinetic modeling and optimum design of the discharge tube for the CO<sub>2</sub> laser with computational fluid dynamics method

Hongyan Huang; Youqing Wang

doi:10.1117/1.3509163

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1 November 2010 Kinetic modeling and optimum design of the discharge tube for the CO₂ laser with computational fluid dynamics method

Hongyan Huang, Youqing Wang

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Optical Engineering, 49(11), 114201 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1117/1.3509163

Abstract

The performance of a high-power fast-axial-flow CO₂ laser is directly determined by the characteristics of the turbulent flow of the active medium in the discharge region. To research the influence of the discharge tube structure on the internal gas flow field and determine the optimum design of the discharge tube, we use the computational fluid dynamics method and a set of governing equations to predict and compare the internal gas flow field of various sizes of discharge tubes. The influence of the tube diameter and gas inflow opening size on the gas flow velocity and turbulence intensity is discussed. There is good agreement between the theoretical prediction and the experimental results. The results obtained provide a basis for the optimum design of a high-power industrial fast-axial-flow CO₂ laser.

©(2010) Society of Photo-Optical Instrumentation Engineers (SPIE)

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Hongyan Huang and Youqing Wang "Kinetic modeling and optimum design of the discharge tube for the CO₂ laser with computational fluid dynamics method," Optical Engineering 49(11), 114201 (1 November 2010). https://doi.org/10.1117/1.3509163

Published: 1 November 2010

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