According to reports, Chinese researchers have developed a cutting-edge cooling mechanism that can enhance the power of lasers over longer distances without causing overheating.
The South China Morning Post (SCMP) reports that Chinese researchers have made a "major breakthrough" in high-energy laser technology. Thanks to an improved cooling mechanism that effectively eliminates accumulated waste heat, Chinese lasers can now operate "indefinitely." Researchers foresee this advancement increasing the range and power of high-energy laser weapons.
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| Major Breakthrough in High-Energy Laser Technology from China |
Scientists at the National University of Defense Technology in Hunan Province have produced findings that solve a significant technological problem in creating laser weapons.
High-Energy Lasers
This development means that with new technologies, high-energy lasers can now produce continuous and highly effective laser beams.
Led by laser weapon scientist Yuan Shengfu, the researchers published a study on August 4th in the Chinese peer-reviewed journal Acta Optica Sinica. They stated that their achievement represents a "major breakthrough in enhancing the performance of high-energy laser systems." The researchers noted, "High-quality beams are not only produced in the first second but can also be maintained indefinitely."
According to reports, the new cooling system uses "advanced structures" and optimized gas flow to remove heat from the laser while reducing turbulence and vibration. Additionally, it helps keep the focusing mirrors of the laser weapon clean.
Yuan and his colleagues said, "Since the invention of the first ruby laser in 1960, people have been eager to transition from kinetic energy to laser energy to reflect energy at the speed of light and envisioned laser beams as 'death rays' capable of instantly killing targets." Despite the development of many different types of lasers over the past 60 years, "unfortunately, the application of high-energy laser systems has not been successful."
The US has made significant advancements in the past with notable high-energy laser examples such as the Navy's Advanced Chemical Laser (NACL), the Mid-Infrared Advanced Chemical Laser (MIRACL), and the Tactical High Energy Laser (THEL).
However, these systems were abandoned or shelved because they were "too large and heavy." The SCMP explained that the underlying reason could be their relatively weak destructive capabilities.
Chinese experts noted that these efforts were abandoned because they did not achieve the expected level of destruction. Due to heat buildup during operation, the effective range of the weapons was only a few kilometers. Yuan's team created a small and efficient internal beam path regulator to counter this. The system blows gas through the weapon to increase gas cleanliness and reduce waste heat. Additionally, it aims to maximize gas flow while reducing size and weight.
Advanced Lasers from China
Key components of the system include an air source, a heat exchanger, a gas flow control system, and a gas injection/extraction system. The system takes clean, dry air from the air source, and the heat exchanger cools the air to the desired temperature, theoretically allowing it to operate continuously.