Performance and diagnostic measurements of a supersonic HCl chemical laser

Journal Article · Thu Mar 01 04:00:00 EST 1979 · J. Appl. Phys.; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1063/1.326149· OSTI ID:6398016

Arnold, S J; Foster, K D; Snelling, D R

A supersonic purely chemical continuous-wave HCl laser is described in which nonequilibrium concentrations of atomic chlorine are generated by the branch-chain reaction of NO with ClO/sub 2/. The ClO/sub 2/ is injected into a stream of NO in helium immediately upstream of the throat of a slit nozzle. The reacting gases then expand as a free jet into a low-pressure region where HI is added to rapidly form vibrationally excited HCl. A maximum HCl multiline output power of 35 W is obtained, which represents a chemical efficiency of approx.4.5% based on the total exothermicity of the pumping reaction and the limiting flow rate of HI. An efficient technique for visualizing the flow in the expanded region is described. This technique is based on the visible chemiluminescence resulting from the addition of H/sub 2/S to the NO/ClO/sub 2/ reaction system.

• Research Organization: Defence Research Establishment Valcartier, P.O. Box 880, Courcelette, Quebec, Canada, G0A 1R0
• OSTI ID: 6398016
• Journal Information: J. Appl. Phys.; (United States), Journal Name: J. Appl. Phys.; (United States) Vol. 50:3; ISSN JAPIA
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

42 ENGINEERING
420300* -- Engineering-- Lasers-- (-1989)
CHAIN REACTIONS
CHALCOGENIDES
CHEMICAL LASERS
CHEMILUMINESCENCE
CHLORINE COMPOUNDS
CHLORINE OXIDES
DATA
DATA FORMS
EFFICIENCY
ENERGY LEVELS
EXCITED STATES
EXPERIMENTAL DATA
FLOW RATE
FLUID FLOW
GAS FLOW
HALOGEN COMPOUNDS
HYDROCHLORIC ACID
HYDROGEN COMPOUNDS
HYDROGEN SULFIDES
INFORMATION
INORGANIC ACIDS
ISOLATED VALUES
LASERS
LUMINESCENCE
NITROGEN COMPOUNDS
NITROGEN OXIDES
NUMERICAL DATA
OXIDES
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
PERFORMANCE
SULFIDES
SULFUR COMPOUNDS
SUPERSONIC FLOW
VIBRATIONAL STATES