IEC Fusion Reactor Mark 3 Microbolometer



 

Overview:

An L3 thermal eye 2500AS microbolometer (thermal imager) with 160x120 resolution and 2620AS DSP board are set up with a Zinc Selenide (ZnSe) viewport / macro lens to allow imaging of the fusor interior in the 7-14um wavelength range.

 

 

ZnSe Macro Viewport (8/22/2013)

2" OD ZnSe lens, 3/8" thick 10.5"FL

 

ZnSe Macro Viewport (8/22/2013)

Machined aluminum CF flange to hold lens

 

ZnSe Macro Viewport (8/22/2013)

Holder and lens.

 

ZnSe Macro Viewport (8/22/2013)

Lens mounted in holder

 

ZnSe Macro Viewport (8/22/2013)

Viewport assembly mounted on fusor.

 

Thermal imager (8/22/2013)

Thermal eye 2500AS core mounted in a camera case

 

Thermal imager (8/22/2013)

Thermal eye 2500AS core mounted in a camera case

 

Thermal imager (8/22/2013)

Thermal eye 2500AS core mounted in a camera case

 

Thermal imager (8/22/2013)

Core and DSP board

 

Thermal imager (8/22/2013)

Grid after a short uncooled test.

 

Thermal imager (5/24/2014)

Preliminary tests with co2 laser and ISI 77 thermal imager

 

Thermal imager (5/24/2014)

Laser controller

 

Thermal imager (5/24/2014)

Preliminary tests with co2 laser and ISI 77 thermal imager

 

Thermal imager (5/24/2014)

Preliminary tests with co2 laser and ISI 77 thermal imager

 

Thermal imager (5/24/2014)

Beam through diverging lens onto wall imaged with ISI-77 thermal camera.

 

CO2 Laser (7/4/2014)

Face plate adapter to 30mm thorlabs cage system.

 

CO2 Laser (7/4/2014)

Face plate adapter to 30mm thorlabs cage system.

 

CO2 Laser (7/4/2014)

Face plate adapter to 30mm thorlabs cage system.

 

CO2 Laser (7/4/2014)

Face plate adapter to 30mm thorlabs cage system.

 

CO2 Laser (7/4/2014)

Face plate adapter to 30mm thorlabs cage system.

 

CO2 Laser (7/4/2014)

ZnSe diverging lens

 

CO2 Laser (7/4/2014)

ZnSe diverging lens

 

CO2 Laser (7/4/2014)

ZnSe diverging lens

 

CO2 Laser (7/4/2014)

ZnSe diverging lens, stack of 2

 

CO2 Laser (7/4/2014)

ZnSe diverging lens, stack of 2

 

CO2 Laser (7/4/2014)

ZnSe diverging lenses and UV lamp for thermal image plate

 

CO2 Laser (7/4/2014)

Thermal image plate set

 

CO2 Laser (7/4/2014)

Thermal image plate

 

CO2 Laser (7/4/2014)

Thermal image plate with unexpanded laser beam.

 

CO2 Laser (7/4/2014)

Unexpanded beam viewed on thermal image plate

 

CO2 Laser (7/4/2014)

Unexpanded beam viewed on thermal image plate

 

CO2 Laser (7/4/2014)

Expanded beam viewed on thermal image plate

 

CO2 Laser (7/4/2014)

Expanded beam viewed with thermal-eye 2500 thermal imager

 

CO2 Laser (7/4/2014)

Expanded beam viewed with thermal-eye 2500 thermal imager

 

Thermal imager (7/4/2014)

Beam through diverging lens onto wall imaged with L3 thermal-eye 2500 thermal camera.

 

Thermal imager (7/4/2014)

Beam through diverging lens onto wall imaged with L3 thermal-eye 2500 thermal camera.

 

Thermal imager (7/4/2014)

Beam through diverging lens onto wall imaged with L3 thermal-eye 2500 thermal camera.

 

Thermal imager (7/4/2014)

Beam through diverging lens onto wall imaged with L3 thermal-eye 2500 thermal camera.

 

CO2 Laser (7/4/2014)

Beam expander system

 

CO2 Laser (7/4/2014)

Beam expander system

 

CO2 Laser (7/4/2014)

Beam expander system

 

CO2 Laser (7/4/2014)

Beam expander system with extended cage

 

CO2 Laser (7/4/2014)

Beam expander system with extended cage

 

CO2 Laser (7/7/2014)

Beam expander output lens, tube, and spacers.

 

CO2 Laser (7/7/2014)

Beam expander output lens, tube, and spacers.

 

CO2 Laser (7/7/2014)

Beam expander output lens, tube, and spacers.

 

CO2 Laser (7/7/2014)

Beam expanded by 6x, now parallel

 

CO2 Laser (7/7/2014)

Beam expanded by 6x, now parallel

 

Thermal imager (7/7/2014)

Beam through 6x beam expander onto wall imaged with L3 thermal-eye 2500 thermal camera.

 

Thermal imager (7/7/2014)

Beam through 6x beam expander onto wall imaged with L3 thermal-eye 2500 thermal camera.

 

Thermal imager (7/4/2014)

T=30% germanium output coupler with L3 thermal-eye 2500 thermal camera.

 

CO2 Laser (7/12/2014)

Beam dump

 

CO2 Laser (7/12/2014)

Beam dump

 

Thermal imager (7/12/2014)

9x expanded beam in beam dump

 

CO2 Laser (7/12/2014)

Beam expanded to 9x on thermal image plate

 

CO2 Laser (7/12/2014)

Right angle turning mirror and cage mount

 

CO2 Laser (7/12/2014)

Cage rods

 

CO2 Laser (7/12/2014)

Right angle turning mirror and cage mount

 

CO2 Laser (7/12/2014)

Right angle turning mirror and cage mount

 

CO2 Laser (7/12/2014)

Beam expanded to 9x, reflected with turning mirror, and displayed on thermal image plate

 

CO2 Laser (7/12/2014)

Core output lens

 

CO2 Laser (7/12/2014)

Right angle mount

 

CO2 Laser (7/12/2014)

Right angle mount on core output lens

 

CO2 Laser (7/12/2014)

Core input lens

 

Thermal imager (7/12/2014)

Beam through 9x beam expander onto wall imaged with L3 thermal-eye 2500 thermal camera.

 

Thermal imager (7/17/2014)

Beam expander assembly to reduce beam to size of optical detector

 

Thermal imager (7/17/2014)

Beam expander assembly to reduce beam to size of optical detector

 

Thermal imager (7/17/2014)

Beam expander assembly to reduce beam to size of optical detector

 

Thermal imager (7/17/2014)

Test setup, soldering iron as heat source collimated through germanium lens

 

Thermal imager (7/17/2014)

Shadow viewed on detector

 

CO2 Laser (7/19/2014)

Output beam without iris fully open

 

CO2 Laser (7/19/2014)

Output beam without iris clipping edges of beam between two lenses in beam expander

 

CO2 Laser (7/19/2014)

Synrad H48-1 with a 9x beam expander that has an internal adjustable iris to prevent reflection of the over expanded beam off the internal walls of the lens tube that cause a halo around the primary beam. Imaged with a thermal eye 2500AS

 

Thermal imager (7/19/2014)

Germanium rear coupler 99.5% reflective (200x attenuation of beam)

 

Thermal imager (7/19/2014)

Mount for coupler to adapt to thorlabs 1" tube

 

Thermal imager (7/19/2014)

Germanium rear coupler in mount

 

Thermal imager (7/19/2014)

Germanium rear coupler mounted on thermal imager for 200x beam attenuation

 

Thermal imager (7/19/2014)

Laser modulation waveform from arbitrary waveform generator, 1khz square wave 6% duty cycle

 

Thermal imager (7/19/2014)

Laser test setup with arbitrary waveform generator controlling laser

 

Thermal imager (7/19/2014)

Shadow in laser beam

 

Thermal imager (7/19/2014)

Shadow in laser beam

 

Thermal imager (7/19/2014)

Synrad H48-1 with a 9x beam expander bench test. Shadow from soldering iron tip cast in beam. Imaged with a thermal eye 2500AS, 99.5% reflective rear coupler from laser cutter used as 200x attenuator, laser run at ~20% power and 1kHz square wave with 6% duty cycle.

 

Laser setup (7/19/2014)

Laser positioned next to fusor

 

Laser setup (7/19/2014)

Beam aligned with input window

 

Laser setup (7/19/2014)

Thermal imager looking through output window

 

Laser setup (7/19/2014)

Shadow cast by central grid

 

Laser setup (7/19/2014)

Shadow cast by central grid

 

Laser setup (7/19/2014)

Synrad H48-1 with a 9x beam expander projected through IEC fusor core with no plasma. Shadow from ion accelerating grid cast in beam. Imaged with a thermal eye 2500AS, 99.5% reflective rear coupler from laser cutter used as 200x attenuator, laser run at ~20% power and 1kHz square wave with 6% duty cycle.

 

Laser setup (7/19/2014)

Synrad H48-1 with a 9x beam expander projected through IEC fusor core with no plasma. Shadow from ion accelerating grid cast in beam. Imaged with a thermal eye 2500AS, 99.5% reflective rear coupler from laser cutter used as 200x attenuator, laser run at ~20% power and 1kHz square wave with 6% duty cycle.

 

Fusor setup (7/30/2014)

Plasma operation with 4 ion sources

 

Fusor setup (7/30/2014)

Plasma operation with 4 ion sources

 

Thermal imager (7/30/2014)

Grid with coolant flow on

 

Thermal imager (7/30/2014)

Grid after several seconds with coolant flow off

 

Laser test (7/30/2014)

10.6um beam through plasma, no attenuation seen.

 

Plasma (8/24/2014)

Image of plasma at 5mTorr

 

Thermal imager (8/24/2014)

320x240 resolution thermal imaging of IEC fusor grid with coolant flow on and off

 

Thermal imager (8/24/2014)

160x120 resolution thermal imaging of IEC fusor grid with coolant flow on and off with temperature readout

 

Thermal imager (8/24/2014)

320x240 resolution thermal imaging of IEC fusor interior

 

Thermal imager (8/24/2014)

160x120 resolution thermal imaging of IEC fusor grid insulator

 

Interferometer (8/29/2014)

T=30% germanium mirror and mirror mount

 

Interferometer (8/29/2014)

Mirror mount and beam guide.

 

Interferometer (8/29/2014)

Mounted on core

 

Interferometer (8/29/2014)

View of grid reflected off of mirror

 

Interferometer (8/29/2014)

Carbon fiber tube to stiffen interferometer reference beam arm

 

Interferometer (8/29/2014)

Carbon fiber tube to stiffen interferometer reference beam arm

 

Interferometer (8/29/2014)

Carbon fiber tube to stiffen interferometer reference beam arm

 

Interferometer (8/29/2014)

Turning mirrors and mounts. Mirrors are 1.75x0.375" gold coated silicon.

 

Interferometer (9/19/2014)

Turning mirrors and mounts. Adapter to optics cage system

 

Interferometer (9/19/2014)

Mirrors mounted on optics cage

 

Interferometer (9/19/2014)

Mirrors mounted on optics cage

 

Interferometer (9/19/2014)

Mirrors mounted on optics cage

 

Interferometer (9/19/2014)

View of laser beam splitter through reference arm.

 

Interferometer (9/19/2014)

View of laser beam splitter through reference arm. Close up.

 

Interferometer (9/19/2014)

View of laser beam splitter through measurement arm.

 

Interferometer (9/19/2014)

Thermal imager mount and adapter to 30mm thorlabs cage system.

 

Interferometer (9/19/2014)

Thermal imager mount and adapter to 30mm thorlabs cage system.

 

Interferometer (11/8/2014)

Seek thermal imager

 

Interferometer (11/8/2014)

Adapter to mount to thorlabs cage system.

 

Interferometer (11/8/2014)

Seek thermal imager mounted on thorlabs cage with beam condensor and 200x power attenuator

 

Interferometer (11/8/2014)

200x power attenuator

 

Interferometer (11/8/2014)

Imaging CO2 laser beam ~5W, 1kHz, 6% duty cycle

 

Interferometer (11/8/2014)

Imaging CO2 laser beam

 

Interferometer (11/8/2014)

Beam profile

 

Interferometer (11/8/2014)

Beam profile

 

Interferometer (5/1/2016)

Some burn inon the inside coating of the ZnSe viewports was observed when running with deuterium(doesn't happen with air). The D- ions comming from the grid are not readily deflected by the magnetic beam deflectors.

 

Interferometer (5/1/2016)

The ZnSe windows have been removed and the damage analyzed. Both top and bottom windows showed deposition from sputtering considerably more visible then that on the glass viewports.

 

Interferometer (5/1/2016)

This is likely due to the deposited material interfering with the BBAR(broad band antireflective) dielectric coating on the window causing considerably more change in transmitted light.

 

Interferometer (5/1/2016)

Examination of the window surface under a microscope showed pitting of the BBAR coating where the D- beam was hitting the window.

 

Interferometer (5/1/2016)

Subsequent cleaning of the window was able to remove most of the BAR coating(and the deposition with it). Post cleaning the window is transparent again.

None of the pitting or damage extends into the ZnSe material, it appears only the BBAR coating is strongly affected by D- bombardment, however to err on the side of safety, the ZnSe windows were not re-installed to prevent any potential sputtering of zinc from the now unprotected window surface into the vacuum system.

 
 

Interferometer (5/1/2016)

 

 
Useful links:http://www.fusor.net/ Open Source Fusion Research Consortium.
 

 

 


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