Industry Internship: Combustion-Assisted Laser Cutting of Difficult-to-Machine Materials

这项研究将探索助燃气体和紫外线/红外激光组合的作用，以开发加工传统上难以加工的材料的有效方法，如难加工金属(钨和钼)、高温合金和陶瓷，如碳化硅、氮化铝和复合材料。具体目标是(1)研究红外/紫外线组合激光光源、助燃气体和气流条件对切割过程的影响，(2)对难加工材料进行实验，从实验上验证和加强分析研究的结果，以及(3)推荐提高厚度大于5 mm的激光切割效率的方法。具体内容包括红外/紫外激光对激光能量吸收的影响，化学反应对激光能量吸收的影响，以及燃烧对切割效率的影响。

The research will explore the effects of combustion assist gases and ultraviolet/infrared laser combinations to develop efficient methods of machining materials that are conventionally difficult-to-machine, such as the refractory metals (tungsten and molybdenum), superalloys, and ceramics such as silicon carbide, aluminum nitride, and composites. The specific goals are (1) to study the effects of infrared/ultraviolet combination laser sources, combustion-assist gases, and gas-flow conditions on the cutting process, (2) to conduct experiments on difficult-to-machine materials, to verify experimentally and augment the results of the analytical study, and (3) to recommend methods to improve the effectiveness of laser cutting for thicknesses greater than 5 mm. The specifics that will be addressed include the effect of infrared/ultraviolet laser beams on the absorption of laser energy, the effect of chemical reactions on laser energy absorption, and the influence of combustion on the cutting efficiency.