Rotary Disk Module

Abstract

There is provided a rotary disk module to efficiently transfer heat from a rotatable disk to a stationary heat sink. The rotatable disk is in proximity of the heat sink with a small gap that allows the disk to move, and which is filled with a cooling medium. The cooling medium aids in transfer of heat from the rotatable disk to the heat sink by conduction, convection, evaporation and other heat transfer means. The heat may be deposited on a portion of the rotatable disk on which an optical beam is being incident or from which an optical beam is generated or both. The rotary disk may be fabricated from various materials depending on the intended applications of the module, and the heat sink is preferably fabricated from materials with high thermal conductivity. The disk may be mounted on a disk-mounting surface that provides for a gap between the rotatable disk and the heat sink surface. The disk-mounting surface is in turn connected to a mechanism for rotating the disk in a smooth fashion. There are provided mechanisms to adjust the gap thickness and the gap uniformity.

1 . A rotary disk module, comprising:
 a rotatable disk allowing heat to be generated or absorbed locally in at least one off-axis portion thereof,   a mechanism for rotating the rotatable disk;   at least a first heat sink in proximity of the rotatable disk for removing the heat from the rotatable disk;   a cooling medium interposed between at least a portion of the rotatable disk and at least a portion of the heat sink to transfer the heat from the rotatable disk to the heat sink;   a gap between at least a portion of the rotatable disk and at least a portion of the heat sink to allow the disk to move; and   wherein the gap thickness is adjustable for efficient heat transfer from the rotatable disk to the heat sink.   
     
     
         2 . The rotary disk module of  claim 1 , wherein the rotatable disk is operative with at least one optical beam being incident on a portion of the rotatable disk. 
     
     
         3 . The rotary disk module of  claim 2 , wherein the rotatable disk serves as an optical window for a high-power optical beam. 
     
     
         4 . The rotary disk module of  claim 2 , wherein the rotatable disk serves to modify the characteristics of the optical beam being incident on a portion of the rotatable disk. 
     
     
         5 . The rotary disk module of  claim 2 , wherein the rotatable disk is made of a nonlinear optical material that serves as a converter of an optical beam of one wavelength to another optical beam of a different wavelength through nonlinear optical process. 
     
     
         6 . The rotary disk module of  claim 1 , wherein the rotatable disk is operative with at least one optical beam being generated from a portion of the rotatable disk. 
     
     
         7 . The rotary disk module of  claim 6 , wherein the rotatable disk is made of a laser material that serves as a generator or amplifier of at least one laser beam. 
     
     
         8 . The rotary disk module of  claim 6 , wherein the rotatable disk is fabricated from a material that is capable of generating fluorescent radiation. 
     
     
         9 . The rotary disk module of  claim 1 , wherein the gap thickness is in the range of 0.012 mm and 10 mm. 
     
     
         10 . The rotary disk module of  claim 1 , wherein at least one of the incident optical beam and the generated optical beam makes more than one pass through the rotatable disk. 
     
     
         11 . The rotary disk module of  claim 2 , further comprising:
 a sensor for measuring deviation between a desired propagation direction and an actual propagation direction of an optical beam passing through the rotatable disk; and   a correction device for reducing or canceling the deviation.   
     
     
         12 . The rotary disk module of  claim 1 , wherein the heat sink further comprising at least one channel extending therein and having an outlet at an inner face proximate to the rotatable disk for introducing a cooling medium to the gap between the rotatable disk and the heat sink. 
     
     
         13 . A rotary disk module, comprising:
 a rotatable disk in which heat is generated in at least one portion thereof;   at least a first stationary heat sink spaced from the rotatable disk by a first gap for removing the heat from the rotatable disk;   a bearing mounted to the first heat sink by a bearing fastener;   a rotatable member attached to the bearing; and   the rotatable member having a disk-mounting surface for mounting the rotatable disk.   
     
     
         14 . The rotary disk module of  claim 13 , wherein the rotatable disk is operative with at least one optical beam being incident on a portion of the rotatable disk. 
     
     
         15 . The rotary disk module of  claim 13 , wherein the rotatable disk is operative with at least one optical beam being generated from a portion of the rotatable disk. 
     
     
         16 . The rotary disk module of  claim 15 , wherein the rotatable disk is made of a laser material that serves as a generator or amplifier of at least one laser beam. 
     
     
         17 . The rotary disk module of  claim 14 , wherein the rotatable disk is made of a nonlinear optical material that serves as a converter of an optical beam of one wavelength to another optical beam of a different wavelength through nonlinear optical process. 
     
     
         18 . The rotary disk module of  claim 13 , wherein the disk-mounting surface can be adjusted to make the gap uniform between the rotatable disk and the heat sink. 
     
     
         19 . The rotary disk module of  claim 13 , wherein a spacer is inserted between the rotatable disk and the disk-mounting surface to adjust the thickness of the gap between the rotatable disk and the heat sink. 
     
     
         20 . The rotary disk module of  claim 13 , wherein the rotatable member is made of several parts, which can be adjusted to adjust the gap thickness between the rotatable disk and the heat sink. 
     
     
         21 . The rotary disk module of  claim 13 , wherein the rotatable member includes a motor end for connecting a motor for rotating the rotatable disk. 
     
     
         22 . The rotary disk module of  claim 21 , wherein the motor includes a shaft, and further comprising a flexible coupler for connecting the motor shaft to the rotatable member. 
     
     
         23 . A rotary disk laser oscillator or amplifier, comprising,
 (a) a rotary disk module, comprising:   a rotatable disk allowing heat to be generated or absorbed locally in at least one off-axis portion thereof;   wherein the rotatable disk is made of a laser material that serves as a generator or amplifier of at least one laser beam;   a mechanism for rotating the rotatable disk;   at least a first heat sink in proximity of the rotatable disk for removing the heat from the rotatable disk;   a cooling medium interposed between at least a portion of the rotatable disk and at least a portion of the heat sink to transfer the heat from the rotatable disk to the heat sink;   a gap between at least a portion of the rotatable disk and at least a portion of the heat sink to allow the disk to move; and   wherein the gap thickness is adjustable for efficient heat transfer from the rotatable disk to the heat sink;   (b) at least one optical beam being incident on a portion of the rotatable disk; and   (c) at least one optical laser beam being generated from a portion of the rotatable disk.