Licensable Technologies : Physics & Chemistry : Separations

Laser Ablation Based Fuel Ignition

Abstract
There is provided a method of fuel/oxidizer ignition comprising: (a) application of laser light to a material surface which is absorptive to the laser radiation; (b) heating of the material surface with the laser light to produce a high temperature ablation plume which emanates from the heated surface as an intensely hot cloud of vaporized surface material; and (c) contacting the fuel/oxidizer mixture with the hot ablation cloud at or near the surface of the material in order to heat the fuel to a temperature sufficient to initiate fuel ignition.

IP Status: Available both Exclusively and Non Exclusively

Reference Number: 47

S Number: DOE reference no.(s): 84,955

Patents & Applications:
United States National Patent Number 5769621 Issued on 06/23/1998

Posted: 09-17-2004

Contact
John Russell
Technology Transfer Division
Los Alamos National Laboratory
P.O. Box 1663, MailStop C334
(505) 665-3941
jrussell@lanl.gov