The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Mar. 19, 1985
Filed:
Feb. 11, 1982
Dennis R Womack, Knoxville, TN (US);
The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Army, Washington, DC (US);
Abstract
A laser using heat and thermionic electrical output from a nuclear reactor in which heat generated by the reactor is utilized to vaporize metal lasants. Voltage output from a thermionic converter is used to create an electric discharge in the metal vapors. In one embodiment the laser vapors are excited by a discharge only. The second embodiment utilizes fission coatings on the inside of heat pipes, in which fission fragment excitation and ionization is employed in addition to a discharge. Both embodiments provide efficient laser systems that are capable of many years of operation without servicing. Metal excimers are the most efficient electronic transition lasers known with output in the visible wavelengths. Use of metal excimers, in addition to their efficiency and wavelengths, allows utilization of reactor waste heat which plagues many nuclear pumped laser concepts.