Laser Amplifier Thermal Optimization

2023

1. Investigation of Gas Flow Within a Laser Amplifier Head for Optimal Cooling

   E. Lowell, O. T. Schmidt, F. Batysta, and 1 more author

   AIAA Paper 2023-3479, 2023

   Abs DOI PDF

   View Video Presentation: https://doi.org/10.2514/6.2023-3479.vidIn an effort to improve thermal management of the gain medium in high-average power, high-intensity lasers, this study focuses on simulating the gas flow through multiple narrow channels. Actively cooling lasers of this class involves flowing helium gas through an array of closely-spaced vanes, where each vane contains a thin slab of gain medium. Since the role of turbulence is crucial to both the thermal management of the gain material and to the optical quality of the laser, it is imperative that the state of the flow within these channels and over the gain medium is properly understood. In the absence of experimental data, the current work utilizes RANS turbulence models and the Langtry-Menter transition prediction model to obtain flow solutions within a representative helium gas-cooled laser amplifier design. The RANS results reveal three flow features within the amplifier head: separation at the inlet diffuser, potential relaminarization within the channels, and a separation region downstream due to the diverging sections of the channels. While computationally inexpensive and suited for exploring optimal aerodynamic design configurations of the amplifier head, the RANS solutions only provide averaged flow quantities. Since the fluctuating density field is necessary for future aero-optical analyses of the laser propagating through the gas flow, a preliminary LES is also introduced. In addition to aero-optics, it is expected the LES will shed light into the inherent unsteadiness of the aforementioned separation regions, which in turn may highlight any links to structural vibrations of the vanes themselves. A comparison of the mean flows of the RANS and LES solutions indicates good agreement within the channels and near the gain medium, and shows that the LES and RANS capture similar separation and recirculation features.

2022

1. Towards Optimal Gas Cooling with Minimal Aero-optical Distortion for a Laser Amplifier Head

   E. Lowell, O. T. Schmidt, F. Batysta, and 2 more authors

   AIAA Paper 2022-3265, 2022

   Abs DOI PDF

   View Video Presentation: https://doi.org/10.2514/6.2022-3265.vid Next-generation, high-peak-power, ultrashort-pulse lasers have the potential to efficiently deliver the high-average-power outputs required by many emerging technologies and areas of research. The combination of large size and low-repetition rates of previous-generation lasers make their effective and widespread usage impractical. The critical step in an effort to increase the repetition rate is a proper management of the waste heat generated in the laser gain medium. The current paper presents a computational approach with which to improve upon current gas-cooled amplifier designs; the ultimate goal being to optimize the head geometry for efficient cooling while maintaining minimal aero-optical distortion. This approach consists of several components, the focus of which are low-fidelity RANS simulations, and high-fidelity LES and aero-optical simulations. Preliminary results indicate that these components interface properly in handling the prescribed base case, and lay the groundwork for continued progress towards simulating, modeling, and optimizing the amplifier head for efficient cooling.