Predicting gas decomposition in an industrialized pulsed CO2 laser

Abstract

A model is developed for the breakdown and regeneration of component gases in an industrialised TEA CO2 laser, both with and without internal catalysts, and is found to be in excellent agreement with experimental data. The laser was found to be stable at O2 levels in excess of 2%, whereas previously reported values suggest stable operation at values of less than 1%. This is thought to be related to the unusually high starting CO2 concentration of the gas mix, and the short time pulse of the laser output. Long term catalytic behaviour however shows a decay in the catalyst activity, corresponding to higher energy variation and lower average power.