August 1975 B75-10183 NASA TECH BRIEF NASA Pasadena Office 4r NASA Tech Briefs announce new technology derived from the U.S. space program. They are issued to encourage commercial application. Tech Briefs are available on a subscription basis from the National Technical Information Ser"ice, Springfield, Virginia 22151. Requests for individual copies or questions relating to the Tech Brief program may be directed to the Technology Utilization Office, NASA, Code KT, Washington, D.C. 20546.
High-Power CW Laser Using Hydrogen-Fluorine Reaction
The problem: How it's done: The very exothermic reaction between hydrogen In the presence of a catalyst, hydrazine dissociates and fluorine has been studied for application in exothermally from its original chemical state of N2114 high-power, continuous-wave (CW) lasers. Unfortu- into nitrogen, hydrogen, and ammonia. The ammo- nately, the lasers based on this reaction are not readily nia, in the presence of heat, further breaks down into portable. Heavy equipment and large tanks are nitrogen and hydrogen. Hence, in one chemical necessary to store compressed hydrogen and fluorine formulation, hydrazine presents the convenience of gases. There is no net advantage when the gases are storage as well as the availability of the reactant stored as liquids because additional cryogenic hydrogen and the diluent nitrogen. Further investiga- components are needed. tions of fluorine carriers have shown that there are other fluorine compounds, such as nitrogen tetra- The solution: fluoride (N2F4), that are easier to store and handle A newly proposed approach is to use hydrazine and than fluorine gas and yet do not introduce any new ,jo fluorine. Hydrazine is stored as a liquid in light elements into the final reactions. containers at room temperature and provides the hydrogen necessary for the reaction.
Nitrogen and Hydrogen Generator Hydrazine (N2H4)
Fuel and Oxidizer Manifold
Mirror Monatomic Fluorine zz17 Internal Nozzle Gridrid
Mirror Cavity Flow Laser Beam
To Diffuser
Schematic Diagram of Proposed CW Laser (continued overleaf)
This document was prepared under the sponsorship of the National Government assumes any liability resulting from the use of the Aeronautics and Space Administration. Neither the United States information contained in this document, or warrants that such use Government nor any person acting on behalf of the United Slates will be free from privately owned rights. The proposed system is shown in the illustration. plenum/nozzle assembly. The reaction of the Hydrazine is decomposed catalytically and is injected deuterium would occur with the monatomic fluorine into a combustor. The resulting hot gases are so to form excited deuterium-fluoride molecules. This U-A distributed that a small quantity is introduced into a reaction is even more desirable because the wave- fluorine-rich combustion plenum (not shown) to cause length generated is less affected by atmospheric water the formation of monatomic fluorine by the thermal vapor. dissociation of diatomic fluorine. The remainder of the decomposed hydrazine is introduced through a Note: separate plenum/nozzle assembly where it is accelera- Requests for further information may be directed ted through the nozzle prior to being combined to: downstream with the newly-generated monatomic Technology Utilization Officer fluorine, which is also accelerated through a nozzle NASA Pasadena Office prior to final burning. The reaction of hydrogen and 4800 Oak Grove Drive monatomic fluorine produces the excited hydrogen- Pasadena, California 91103 fluoride molecules required for a conventional Reference: TSP75-10183 hydrogen-fluorine CW laser. Deuterium can be substituted for 'hydrogen in the Patent status: hydrazine formulation to form heavy hydrazine. NASA has decided not to apply for a patent. Conventional hydrazine could still be introduced into the fluorine-rich combustion plenum' to generate Source: Philip I. Moynihan of monatomic fluorine. The heavy hydrazine, however, Caltech/JPL would be decomposed through a second gas generator (NPO-13623) and would be introduced through a separate
U.S. Coverrnoent Printing Office; 1975-637.467 Regioo, No. 3-I1 0
Categories: 03 (Physical sciences) B75-10183 04 (Materials) -04