High power lasers in space could provide power for a variety of future space missions such as spacecraft electric power requirements and laser propulsion. This study investigates four electrically pumped laser systems, krypton fluoride, copper vapor, laser diode array, and the carbon dioxide laser, all scaled to 1-MW laser output. Each system obtained its primary power from a large solar photovoltaic array which, in turn, provides power for the appropriate laser power conditioning sub-system. Each system was block-diagramed, and the power and effficiency were found for each subsystem. The laser diode array had the highest solar-to-laser efficiency (6 percent) and smallest radiator area making it the most advantageous of the electrically driven lasers studied. This system was then compared with an iodine solar pumped laser system previously studied. The diode array had a better wavelength with regard to transmission optics mass, but it also had a heavier radiator because of its lower temperature radiator requirement. A more advanced solar pumped laser could emerge as the preferred laser system for space applications.


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    Title :

    One-megawatt solar pumped and electrically driven lasers for space power transmission


    Additional title:

    Elektrisch betriebener Ein-Megawatt Laser mit Solarpumpe fuer Weltraumenergieuebertragung


    Contributors:
    DeYoung, R.J. (author) / Lee, J.H. (author) / Williams, M.D. (author) / Schuster, G. (author) / Conway, E.J. (author)


    Publication date :

    1988


    Size :

    6 Seiten, 8 Bilder, 2 Tabellen, 13 Quellen


    Type of media :

    Conference paper


    Type of material :

    Print


    Language :

    English