Continuous mass flow gas replenishment system, gas discharge lasing device, method of gas replenishment, and method of controlling a laser discharge

• Main Authors: JENKET, BRUCE R, SERCEL, JEFFREY P, DADELSZEN, MICHAEL VON, MASSE, DANIEL B, SERCEL, DANA K
• Format: Patent
• Language: Chinese; English
• Published: 01.08.2013
• Subjects: BASIC ELECTRIC ELEMENTS; DEVICES USING STIMULATED EMISSION; ELECTRICITY; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER US CLASSIFICATION; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS

Continuous mass flow gas replenishment may be implemented in a gas lasing device, such as a gas laser or amplifier, by using a restrictive orifice to bleed one or more gases into a reservoir and/or discharge chamber of the gas laser or amplifier at a predefined mass flow rate. The mass flow rate is a function of the pressure drop across the restrictive orifice resulting from the pressure differential between the depleted gas and the source gas. Thus, gases may be added as needed such that the gas total pressure, as well as the constituent partial pressures, is maintained within a desired range throughout the laser or amplifier fill lifetime. The continuous mass flow gas replenishment may thus make up the lost partial pressure of reactive gases in gas lasing devices in a manner that is less complicated and is less expensive than other continuous flow methodologies.