Analytical and experimental investigation of laser processing of space-shuttle tile

Abstract

High power lasers are used in industry as a machining tool for drilling, cutting, welding and etching. Because of its obvious advantages, an experimental and analytical study was undertaken to investigate the feasibility of the laser to cut and drill a ceramic. The project involved both analytical and experimental work. CO2 lasers were used in continuous mode to perform cutting and drilling in ceramic tiles. Experimental measurements were made of the laser beam profile to determine its effect upon cutting characteristics. A series of experiments were designed using the Orthogonal Experimental Method to determine the most important parameters and also the best combination of these for cutting. Experiments were performed to measure the hole shape and material removal during the laser drilling and cutting processes. A numerical model was developed to analyze laser drilling using a fixed incoming beam. The numerical model was used to determine the energy delivery to the surface from the laser beam and the conduction within the solid ceramic. A similarity variable was introduced to analytically solve for the transient heat conduction inside the solid tile. The temperature distribution was found and then used with an assumed boundary condition to predict the drilled cavity shape. Results were obtained to predict cavity depth, hole shape, and material removal during drilling. The results from the model are in good agreement with experimental data taken during this research.

Notes

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Graduation Date

1991

Semester

Summer

Advisor

Bishop, Patricia

Degree

Master of Science (M.S.)

College

College of Engineering

Department

Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering

Format

PDF

Pages

126 p.

Language

English

Length of Campus-only Access

None

Access Status

Masters Thesis (Open Access)

Identifier

DP0028133

Subjects

Dissertations, Academic -- Engineering; Engineering -- Dissertations, Academic

Accessibility Status

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