CO{sub 2} Laser Ablation Propulsion Area Scaling With Polyoxymethylene Propellant

Journal Article · Thu May 06 04:00:00 EDT 2010 · AIP Conference Proceedings

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1063/1.3435438· OSTI ID:21367296

Sinko, John E ^[1]; Ichihashi, Katsuhiro; Ogita, Naoya; Sakai, Takeharu; Sasoh, Akihiro ^[2]; Tsukiyama, Yosuke ^[1]; Umehara, Noritsugu ^[3]

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1. Micro-Nano Global Center of Excellence, Graduate School of Engineering, Nagoya University, Furo-cho, Chikusa-ku, Nagoya, Aichi, 464-8603 (Japan)
2. Department of Aerospace Engineering, Nagoya University, Furo-cho, Chikusa-ku, Nagoya, Aichi, 464-8603 (Japan)
3. Department of Mechanical Science and Engineering, Nagoya University, Furo-cho, Chikusa-ku, Nagoya, Aichi, 464-8603 (Japan)

The topic of area scaling is of great importance in the laser propulsion field, including applications to removal of space debris and to selection of size ranges for laser propulsion craft in air or vacuum conditions. To address this issue experimentally, a CO{sub 2} laser operating at up to 10 J was used to irradiate targets. Experiments were conducted in air and vacuum conditions over a range of areas from about 0.05-5 cm{sup 2} to ablate flat polyoxymethylene targets at several fluences. Theoretical effects affecting area scaling, such as rarefaction waves, thermal diffusion, and diffraction, are discussed in terms of the experimental results. Surface profilometry was used to characterize the ablation samples. A CFD model is used to facilitate analysis, and key results are compared between experimental and model considerations. The dependence of key laser propulsion parameters, including the momentum coupling coefficient and specific impulse, are calculated based on experimental data, and results are compared to existing literature data.

• OSTI ID: 21367296
• Journal Information: AIP Conference Proceedings, Journal Name: AIP Conference Proceedings Journal Issue: 1 Vol. 1230; ISSN APCPCS; ISSN 0094-243X
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

42 ENGINEERING
ABLATION
AIR
CARBON COMPOUNDS
CARBON DIOXIDE LASERS
CARBON MONOXIDE
CARBON OXIDES
CHALCOGENIDES
COUPLING
DIFFUSION
ELECTROMAGNETIC RADIATION
FLUIDS
GAS LASERS
GASES
IRRADIATION
LASER RADIATION
LASERS
OXIDES
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
PROPULSION
PROPULSION SYSTEMS
PULSES
RADIATIONS
REMOVAL
THERMAL DIFFUSION