Spray generator of singlet oxygen for a chemical oxygen-iodine laser

• Published in: Applied physics. B, Lasers and optics Lasers and optics, 2010-09, Vol.100 (4), p.779-791
• Main Authors: JIRASEK, V, HRUBY, J, SPALEK, O, CENSKY, M, KODYRNOVA, J
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Chemical lasers; Chemical oxygen-iodine lasers; Chlorine; Engineering; Exact sciences and technology; Fundamental areas of phenomenology (including applications); Generators; Lasers; Liquids; Optical Devices; Optics; Photonics; Physical Chemistry; Physics; Physics and Astronomy; Quantum Optics; Singlet oxygen; Sprayers; Sprays; Utilization
• ISSN: 0946-2171; 1432-0649
• DOI: 10.1007/s00340-010-4060-4

A spray type of singlet oxygen generator for driving the Chemical Oxygen-Iodine Laser was developed. Singlet oxygen, O 2 ( 1 Δ g ), is generated by a fast reaction of chlorine with basic hydrogen peroxide solution in the form of a dense spray. A mathematical model of this reaction system showed that O 2 ( 1 Δ g ) can be generated in this system with a high yield (0.70–0.80), high utilization of chlorine (0.75–0.95), and effective utilization of liquid (0.36–0.54) at very high generator pressures (35–75 kPa). Experimental studies of this reaction system without an efficient separation of liquid proved an efficient O 2 ( 1 Δ g ) production characterized by a rather high product of chlorine utilization and O 2 ( 1 Δ g ) yield (0.4–0.9) at very high generator pressures (30–80 kPa). This pressure is much higher than the operation pressure used in other generators, which should be beneficial for a pressure recovery system of the COIL. These results provided the basis for designing a centrifugal spray generator with an efficient separation of liquid from the gas flow, which is the subject of the following paper.