Resonator expanding angle for supersonic chemical oxygen-iodine laser

To avoid heat shocks in the operation, the choice of resonator expanding angle should be considered in the design of the supersonic chemical oxygen-iodine laser. The influence of the expanding angle on inner flow field of the laser has been numerically investigated based on a kilowatt laser experiment setup. To define a proper expanding angle which has the ability to keep constant pressure and temperature through the resonator, different angles have been analyzed in the view of flow parameters and chemical gain. The relationship between the nozzle height and expanding angle has also been studied. Numerical result shows that the proper expanding angle of the kilowatt is 4.5°.