Reactive-flow modeling of the H/NF2/BiF reaction system

and S. PattersonU.S. Army MICOM, Redstone Arsenal, AL 35898ABSTRACTThe H/NFJBiF system is one of the most promising concepts for high-power short wavelength chemical lasers (SWCL).The preferred approach uses the H +NF2reaction to efficiently generate NF(a) energy-carrier molecules. These latter speciesinteract with Bi compounds to produce excited BiF. The potential lasing transition is BiF(A-X) emitting near 460 nm. Wereport in this paper one-dimensional (1-D) reactive-flow modeling of the H/NF/BiF system. This work supports design ofan experimental demonstration of continuous-wave lasing in a supersonic-flow, purely chemical system. The model treatsthe subsonic plenum, transonic throat, and supersonic expansion regions.1. INTRODUCTIONDuring the past 20 years of chemical laser development, many short wavelength chemical laser concepts have been proposed.The proposed concepts include both "direct formation" systems (wherein the lasing excited state is directly produced by achemical reaction) and "energy transfer" systems (wherein the excited lasing state is formed by energy transfer from anotherexcited state). For efficient chemically pumped lasing, a chemical reaction must meet stringent, and somewhat conflicting,requirements: the reaction must be fast, it must be very specific in excited state formation, and it must form an excited state