High power fiber laser safety control system

摘要

A laser safety control system is configured with a power source module directly coupled to an AC source and including a galvanically isolated DC/DC converter with at least one output capacitor, and a safety mechanism. The safety mechanism has first and second safety channels which operate independently from one another so as to switch the normal operating regime of the power source module to the safe regime. In the normal operating regime, its DC output has a high voltage, whereas in the safe regime the DC output has a low voltage lower than the high voltage.;The safety channels each include a shutdown circuit operative to switch the DC/DC converter off and a discharging circuit operative to discharge the output capacitor. The switching off DC/DC converter and discharging of the output capacitor define the safe regime of the power source module.

主权项

1. A laser safety control system, comprising:
a power source module coupled to an AC source and including
a galvanically isolated DC/DC converter, anda safety mechanism which is configured with first and second safety channels operating independently from one another and each provided with:
a shutdown circuit for switching the power source module from a normal operating regime, in which a DC output of the power source has a high voltage, to a safe regime, in which the DC output has a low voltage lower than the high voltage, anda discharging circuit operative to discharge an output capacitor coupled to an output of the DC/DC converter to the low voltage in the safe regime; a laser module including a high power fiber laser system and a laser pump system which receives the DC output, wherein the low voltage is lower than an emission threshold of the laser pump system; and a safety controller configured to control an operation of the power source module in response to external signals from respective external and internal safety-related sensors, the safety controller generating enabling signals coupled into respective the first and second safety channels so as to enable the power source module in the normal operating regime when all of the external and internal sensors do not output respective external signals, andthe safety controller removing the enabling signals in response to the external signals of at least one of the internal and external sensors, either of the two safety channels being operative to switch the normal operating regime of the power source module to the safety regime and discharge the output capacitor in the absence of the enabling signals.