Operation of a continuous wave (CW) hydrogen fluoride (HF) chemical laser with a two-step combustor the diluent added after the nf3/d2 reaction) instead of a conventional, one-step combustor (he premixed with reactants) is expected to increase the amount of total system chemical energy (and reduce combustion-generated deactivators) delivered to the lasing process by the order to 50%. Laser operation is anticipated to be an arbitrary degree on the chain reaction, which further utilizes the stored chemical energy in the lasing process and has several characteristics associated with high vibrational level pumping that enhances HF overtone, delta v equals two laser operation. In this investigation, the improvement in specific power performance is being determined of the HF fundamental transition, delta v equals one laser made possible by the two-step combustion process when perating fully on the cold reaction though largely on the chain reaction. Performance of the HF delta v equals two laser is also being determined over essentially the same ranges of test conditions. Development of high power fundamental transition and overtone transition (short wavelength) hydrogen fluoride chemical lasers for DOD/sdio applications.
