EFFICIENT LASER PAINT REMOVAL AND RESIDUE DISPOSAL SYSTEM

ONE OF THE SIGNIFICANT ISSUES IN THE REFURBISHMENT AND MAINTENANCE OF ARMY EQUIPMENT AND FACILITIES IS THE REMOVAL, HANDLING, AND DISPOSAL OF PAINT USED TO PROTECT THE BUILDINGS AND FACILITIES. PARTICULARLY IN THE CASE OF LEAD-BASED PAINT, IT IS IMPORTANT THAT THE RESIDUE NOT ENETER INTO THE ATMOSPHERE OR CONTAMINATE THE WORKERS REMOVING THE COATING. AT TETRA CORPORATION WE HAVE RECENTLY COMPLETEDDEVELOPMENT OF A NEW TYPE OF REPETITIVE PULSED HIGH ENERGY ELECTRIC DISCHARGE CO2 LASER FOR DOD. THIS PROPOSAL IS TO APPLY THIS RECENTLY DEVELOPED LASER TECHNOLOGY TO THE ARMY'S PROBLEM OF REMOVING PAINT FROM BUILDINGS AND FACILITIES IN PARTICULAR, BUT ALSO VEHICLES AND EQUIPMENT. THE SYSTEM WILL 1) PROVIDE EFFICIENT REMOVAL OF PAINT FROM FLAT AND COMPLEX-SHAPED SURFACES WITH REPETITIVE CO2 LASER PULSES, 2) WILL COLLECT THE PAINT RESIUDE, AND 3) WILL PROTECT THE OPERATOR AND ANY OBSERVERS FROM EXPOSURE TO THE SCATTERED LASER LIGHT. THE OVERALL TECHNICAL OBJECTIVES OF THE PHASE I EFFORT ARE TO DETERMINE THE PRACTICAL FEASIBILITY OF THE PAINT REMOVAL CONCEPT. THE SPECIFIC OBJECTIVES ARE TO DETERMINE THE LASE PULSE ENERGY DENSITY, PULSE TEMPORAL SHAPE, AND PEAK POWER DENSITY REQUIREMENTS FOR EFFICIENT PAINT REMOVAL AS A FUNCTION OF THE PAINT TYPE AND THICKNESS AND TO DEVELOP A CONCEPTUAL DESIGN AND ECONOMIC ANALYSIS OF AN OPERATIONAL SYSTEM TO DETERMINE THE PRACTICAL FEASIBILITY OF THE SYSTEM. BY COMPLETING THESE OBJECTIVES, WE WILL HAVE DETERMINED THE FEASIBILITY OF THE CONCEPT AND LAID THE FOUNDATION FOR THE SUCCESSFUL PROTOTYPE DEVELOPMENT AND DEMONSTRATION IN PHASE II.