DEVELOPMENT OF AN AIR/WATER COOLED ALL-SOLID-STATE PULSED GENERATOR FOR DRIVING COPPER VAPOR LASER AMPLIFIERS

ALL-SOLID-STATE PULSE GENERATORS ARE BEING INVESTIGATED TO MEET THE ATOMIC VAPOR LASER ISOTOPE SEPARATION (AVLIS) REQUIREMENT FOR EFFICIENT, RELIABLE, PULSED POWER SOURCES TO PUMP COPPER VAPOR LASER AMPLIFIERS. THESE THYRISTOR COMMUTATED NONLINEAR MAGNETIC PULSE COMPRESSORS DIFFER FROM CURRENT DESIGNS IN THAT A COMBINATION OF AIR AND WATER, RATHER THAN CHLOROFLUOROCARBON (CFC), IS USED AS A COOLANT. IN THE PAST, ALL-SOLID-STATE MAGNETIC PULSE COMPRESSORS WEREDEVELOPED FOR USE IN THE AVLIS PROGRAM. THAT PROJECT RESULTED IN THE SUCCESSFUL DESIGN, FABRICATION, AND TESTING OF COMPACT ALL-SOLID-STATE MODULATORS THAT HAVE EXTENDED THEMEAN TIME BETWEEN FAILURES AND INCREASED THE EFFICIENCY OF COPPER VAPOR LASER DRIVERS. THESE MODULATORS HAVE PROVED TOBE EFFICIENT, COST-EFFECTIVE, AND RELIABLE, BUT ALL SHARE ONE COMMON DRAWBACK. COOLING IS ACCOMPLISHED BY IMMERSION IN TANKS FILLED WITH CFCS. WHEN THESE MODULATORS WERE CONCEIVED, THE ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT OF CFCS WAS NOT YET UNDERSTOOD. IT IS NOW WIDELY KNOWN THAT CFCS HAVE A DETRIMENTAL IMPACT ON THE OZONE LAYER IN THE EARTH'S ATMOSPHERE. PRESENTLY, EACH OF THE AVLIS MODULATORS REQUIRES ALMOST 200 GALLONS OF CFC TO OPERATE; THE PLANNED FUTURE LARGE SCALE DEPLOYMENT OF THESE MODULATORS INVOLVES THE USE OF MANY THOUSANDS OF GALLONS. IN THIS PHASE I PROJECT, A SERIES OF REPLACEMENT MODULATORS IS BEING DESIGNED THAT DO NOT REQUIRE ANY FREON AND INSTEAD RELY ON AIR AND WATER AS COOLANT MEDIA.