SEARCH · Search NASA
Search indexed NASA NTRS and DOE OSTI research on propulsion, heat transfer, battery materials and energy systems. Follow report and document links to the original sources.
Quote a phrase for an exact phrase match. Source license links do not imply unrestricted reuse.
Instrument uses infrared absorption to determine methane concentration in liquid natural gas vapor. Two sensors measure intensity of 3.39 mm laser beam after it passes through gas; absorption is proportional to concentration of methane. Instrument is used in modeling spread of LNG clouds and as leak detector on LNG carriers and installations. Unit includes wheels for mobility and is both vertically and horizontally operable.
Carbon dioxide (CO2) has been recognized as one of the most important greenhouse gases. It is essential for the study of global warming to accurately measure the CO2 concentration in the atmosphere and continuously record its variation. A high repetition rate, highly efficient, Q-switched 2-micron laser system as the transmitter of a coherent differential absorption lidar for CO2 measurement has been developed in NASA Langley Research Center. This laser system is capable of making a vertical profiling of CO2 from ground and column measurement of CO2 from air and space-borne platform. The transmitter is a master-slave laser system. The master laser operates in a single frequency, either on-line or off-line of a selected CO2 absorption line. The slave laser is a Q-switched ring-cavity Ho:YLF laser which is pumped by a Tm:fiber laser. The repetition rate can be adjusted from a few hundred Hz to 10 kHz. The injection seeding success rate is from 99.4% to 99.95%. For 1 kHz operation, the output pulse energy is 5.5mJ with the pulse length of ~50 ns. The optical-to-optical efficiency is 39% when the pump power is 14.5W. A Ho:YLF laser operating in the range of 2.05 micrometers can be tuned over several characteristic lines of CO2 absorption. Experimentally, a diode pumped Ho:Tm:YLF laser has been successfully used as the transmitter of coherent differential absorption lidar for the measurement of CO2 with a repetition rate of 5 Hz and pulse energy of 75 mJ. For coherent detection, high repetition rate is required for speckle averaging to obtain highly precise measurements. However, a diode pumped Ho:Tm:YLF laser can not operate in high repetition rate due to the large heat loading and up-conversion. A Tm:fiber laser pumped Ho:YLF laser with low heat loading can operate in high repetition rate. A theoretical model has been established to simulate the performance of Tm:fiber laser pumped Ho:YLF lasers. For continuous wave (CW) operation, high pump intensity with small beam size is suitable for high efficiency. For Q-switched operation, the optimal energy extraction relies on the pump intensity, pump volume, and pump duration which is inversely proportion to the repetition rate. CW and Q-switched Ho:YLF lasers with different linear cavity configurations have been designed and demonstrated for a 30 W Tm:fiber pump laser. The CW Ho laser slope efficiency and optical-to-optical efficiencies reach 65% and 55%, respectively. The pulsed laser efficiency depends on the repetition rate. For 1 kHz operation, the optical-to-optical efficiency is 39% when the pump power is 14.5W. Currently, the injection seeding success rate is between 99.4% and 99.95%. After a ten thousand pulses, the standard deviation of the laser frequency jitter is about 3 MHz. It meets the requirements of highly precise CO2 concentration measurement. In conclusion, an injection seeded, high repetition rate, Q-switched Ho:YLF laser has been developed for a coherent CO2 differential absorption lidar. This master-slave laser system has high optical-to-optical efficiency and seeding success rate. It can potentially meet the requirements of the coherent detection of CO2 concentration by a differential absorption lidar technique.
We are currently developing a velocimeter based on modulated filtered Rayleigh scattering (MFRS), utilizing diode lasers to make measurements in an unseeded gas or flame. MFRS is a novel variation of filtered Rayleigh scattering, utilizing modulation absorption spectroscopy to detect a strong absorption of a weak Rayleigh scattered signal. A rubidium (Rb) vapor filter is used to provide the relatively strong absorption and semiconductor diode lasers generate the relatively weak Rayleigh scattered signal. Alkali metal vapors have a high optical depth at modest vapor pressures, and their narrow linewidth is ideally suited for high-resolution velocimetry; the compact, rugged construction of diode lasers makes them ideally suited for microgravity experimentation. Molecular Rayleigh scattering of laser light simplifies flow measurements as it obviates the complications of flow-seeding. The MFRS velocimeter should offer an attractive alternative to comparable systems, providing a relatively inexpensive means of measuring velocity in unseeded flows and flames.
It is demonstrated that the coincidence between Er:YAG laser emission and CH4 absorption is associated with the R(8) multiplet of C-13H4 instead of the R(6) of C-12H4. The Er:YAG emission was characterized as a laser emission at 6079.4/cm with a bandwidh of 2.2/cm and overlapping CH4 emission at 6078.7/cm. The R(6) component of C-12H4 closest to 6078.7/cm is calculated to be 6077.06/cm, corresponding to an absorption coefficient (AC) of 1.12/cm per atm. The F2-prime component of R(8) of C-13H4 has an AC of 0.308/cm per atm, which corresponds well with a range of 1.2-30.30/cm per atm based on a partial pressure of 1.6/89 ppm. The Er:YAG laser is a candidate for use in spectroscopic studies of CH4 atmospheric pollutants, natural gas movement and storage and gas accumulation in coal mines.
Resonance ionization mass spectrometry (RIMS) is a relatively new laser-based technique for the determination of isotopic abundances. The resonance ionization process depends upon the stepwise absorption of photons from the laser, promoting atoms of the element of interest through progressively higher electronic states until an ion is formed. Sensitivity arises from the efficiency of the resonant absorption process when coupled with the power available from commercial laser sources. Selectivity derives naturally from the distinct electronic structure of different elements. This isobaric discrimination has provided the major impetus for development of the technique. Resonance ionization mass spectrometry was used for analysis of the isotopic abundances of the rare earth lutetium. Isobaric interferences from ytterbium severely effect the ability to measure small amounts of the neutron-deficient Lu isotopes by conventional mass spectrometric techniques. Resonance ionization for lutetium is performed using a continuous-wave laser operating at 452 nm, through a sequential two-photon process, with one photon exciting the intermediate resonance and the second photon causing ionization. Ion yields for microgram-sized quantities of lutetium lie between 10(6) and 10(7) ions per second, at overall ionization efficiencies approaching 10(-4). Discrimination factors against ytterbium greater than 10(6) have been measured. Resonance ionization for technetium is also being explored, again in response to an isobaric interference, molybdenum. Because of the relatively high ionization potential for Tc, three-photon, two-color RIMS processes are being developed.
Tests of the thermoelectronic laser energy converter (TELEC) concept are reported. This device has been devised as a means to convert high-average-power laser radiation into electrical energy, a crucial element in any space laser power transmission scheme using the available high-power/efficiency infrared lasers. Theoretical calculations, based upon inverse bremsstrahlung absorption in a cesium plasma, indicate internal conversion efficiency up to 50% with an overall system efficiency of 42%. The experiments reported were made with a test cell designed to confirm the theoretical model rather than demonstrate efficiency; 10.6-micron laser-beam absorption was limited to about 0.001 of the incident beam by the short absorption region. Nevertheless, confirmatory results were obtained, and the conversion of absorbed radiation to electric power is estimated to be near 10%.
Atmospheric methane (CH4) is the second most important anthropogenic greenhouse gas with approximately 25 times the radiative forcing of carbon dioxide (CO2) per molecule. At NASA Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC) we have been developing a laser-based technology needed to remotely measure CH4 from orbit. We report on our development effort for the methane lidar, especially on our laser transmitters and recent airborne demonstration. Our lidar transmitter is based on an optical parametric process to generate near infrared laser radiation at 1651 nanometers, coincident with a CH4 absorption. In an airborne flight campaign in the fall of 2015, we tested two kinds of laser transmitters --- an optical parametric amplifier (OPA) and an optical parametric oscillator (OPO). The output wavelength of the lasers was rapidly tuned over the CH4 absorption by tuning the seed laser to sample the CH4 absorption line at several wavelengths. This approach uses the same Integrated Path Differential Absorption (IPDA) technique we have used for our CO2 lidar for ASCENDS. The two laser transmitters were successfully operated in the NASAs DC-8 aircraft, measuring methane from 3 to 13 kilometers with high precision.
Time controllable continuous photon emission from plasma produced by pulsed laser vacuum spark applied to absorption spectroscopy in vacuum UV
Dispersion of 1.15 micron He-Ne laser line resulting from neon absorption transition
Atmospheric transmission of high energy CO2 lasers is considerably improved by high pressure operation which, due to pressure broadening, permits tuning the laser lines off atmospheric absorption lines. Pronounced improvement is shown for horizontal transmission at altitudes above several kilometers and for vertical transmission through the entire atmosphere. Applications of tunable high pressure CO2 lasers to energy transmission and to remote sensing are discussed along with initial efforts in tuning high pressure CO2 lasers.
The paper describes an absorption measurement for determining the Gibbs free energy of OH generated in a mixture of water and oxygen vapor. These measurements afford a direct verification of the accuracy of thermochemical data of H2O at high temperatures and pressures. The results indicate that values for the heat capacity of H2O obtained through numerical computations are correct within an experimental uncertainty of 0.15 cal/mole K.
The present investigation is concerned with an optical radar instrument which has been developed for airborne remote sensing of atmospheric trace species at infrared wavelengths. The instrument makes use of compact, pulsed carbon dioxide lasers. It was designed for conducting differential absorption lidar (DIAL) measurements. The backscatter of laser pulse energy from the ocean and terrain surface is utilized to determine trace species column content. The instrument, which is carried by the NASA P3 aircraft, is used in a flight test program started in July 1981. The results obtained with the instrument in this program are discussed, taking into account ocean surface backscatter statistics, the ratio of ocean to terrain backscatter, the dual-wavelength correlation coefficient, the dual-wavelength cross-covariance, and the dependence of un-correlated noise variance on the mean backscatter signal.
An eight-element phase-locked array of index-guided separate confinement ridge AlGaAs diode lasers is fabricated. In this array the absorption of light in the region between lasers is negligible and the gain profile across the array is nearly uniform. Unlike most other arrays, this array oscillates in its fundamental mode. Stable radiation patterns of near diffraction-limited single narrow beam with 1.6 deg width are obtained. The beam width approaches the theoretical limit for the present array structure.
Ozone spectral measurements were conducted with a waveguide CO2 laser, which was continuously tunable over a + or - 450-MHz region, about several lines in the P-branch of the band near the 9.5-micron wavelength region. A passively stabilized low-pressure CO2 laser was also used to provide reference CO2 frequencies. The frequencies of several ozone lines were determined in the nu-3 band, which are near CO2 laser line frequencies in the 9.5-micron wavelength region. The absolute measurement accuracy is estimated to be + or - 6 MHz, and the measurements indicate that the ozone line frequencies listed in currently available spectral compilations are 0.003-0.006 per cm too high. The size of this error is small by conventional IR standards, but extremely important when CO2 laser instruments are used to monitor stratospheric ozone, where line widths in this spectral region are typically 0.001/cm. Empirically determined absorption curves must be constructed in order to calibrate laser differential absorption instrument properly when low-altitude ozone measurements are conducted.
An instrument has been designed, built, and tested for performing laser diagnostic measurements of droplet combustion in low-gravity-flight aircraft. Nonintrusive measurements are of particular importance for droplet combustion (the simplest example of non-premixed combustion) and transport in microgravity environments, where physical contact would introduce an unacceptable level of perturbations. The resolution of these diagnostics can also isolate transport to length scales much smaller than the droplet diameter. These techniques can be configured to instantaneously map an entire flow field in two and three dimensions, providing either qualitative or quantitative information on the distribution of a desired scalar or vector quantity. Detailing the gas-phase flow field and position of the flame front can be achieved using planar laser-induced fluorescence (PLIF) of OH or another flame front marker. An alternative approach is to obtain LIF from a diagnostic seed included in the liquid phase fuel; it would be consumed at the flame front. The main advantage to this approach is that it is easier to choose the wavelength of the molecular absorption which coincides with convenient laser wavelengths rather than finding lasers which can be configured to access OH. Our present method uses a nitrogen-pumped dye laser tuned to a sodium absorption and addition of small concentrations of NaCl to the fuel. Particle image velocimetry (PIV) is a laser-based technique which has recently had its practicality greatly enhanced by the development of high-resolution CCD cameras and the increase in speed and capacity of computer systems. With this technique, a seeded flow is illuminated with a double-pulsed laser sheet to generate a double exposure image on a film or CCD camera. Computer analysis of the image is used to determine the particle velocity vectors and, thus, the gas velocity within the plane of the laser sheet. Our current experiment uses PIV for measuring relative droplet gas-phase velocities in a parabolic flight environment. The results show successful application of PLIF relative to luminosity and radical emission near 308 nm. PIV results are less successful due to gas thermal expansion deflecting the seed particles away from the measurement volume. PIV is applicable for measurements in the absence of combustion.
A resonant Doppler velocimeter technique is introduced for time averaged gas flow turbulence fluctuation measurements. A monochrome laser beam is shone through a flow seeded with an atomic or molecular species that has an absorption frequency to which the laser is tuned. The resulting fluorescence is recorded by a detector, and the Doppler shift of the absorption frequency yields the velocity component of the flow in the direction of the beam. Static temperature and pressure data are available from the spectroscopic absoption line broadening. An analytical formulation of the laser-induced fluorescence intensity is defined and related to the velocity, temperature, and pressure. Comparison with data from a Na-seeded laminar supersonic jet demonstrates the accuracy of both the technique and model. Varying the pump laser frequency allows determination of the mean square velocity, temperature, and pressure fluctuations.
A quantum-cascade laser operating at a wavelength of 8.1 micrometers was used for high-sensitivity absorption spectroscopy of methane (CH4). The laser frequency was continuously scanned with current over more than 3 cm-1, and absorption spectra of the CH4 nu 4 P branch were recorded. The measured laser linewidth was 50 MHz. A CH4 concentration of 15.6 parts in 10(6) ( ppm) in 50 Torr of air was measured in a 43-cm path length with +/- 0.5-ppm accuracy when the signal was averaged over 400 scans. The minimum detectable absorption in such direct absorption measurements is estimated to be 1.1 x 10(-4). The content of 13CH4 and CH3D species in a CH4 sample was determined.
The first remote measurements of the atmospheric pressure profile made from an airborne platform are described. The measurements utilize a differential absorption lidar and tunable solid state Alexandrite lasers. The pressure measurement technique uses a high resolution oxygen A band where the absorption is highly pressure sensitive due to collision broadening. Absorption troughs and regions of minimum absorption were used between pairs of stongly absorption lines for these measurements. The trough technique allows the measurement to be greatly desensitized to the effects of laser frequency instabilities. The lidar system was set up to measure pressure with the on-line laser tuned to the absorption trough at 13147.3/cm and with the reference laser tuned to a nonabsorbing frequency near 13170.0/cm. The lidar signal returns were sampled with a 200 range gate (30 vertical resoltion) and averaged over 100 shots.