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Thread: Looking to build the brightest possible array that can fit through a 5" x 5" sq hole

  1. #1
    Join Date
    May 2016
    Posts
    2

    Laser Warning Looking to build the brightest possible array that can fit through a 5" x 5" sq hole

    I think this is the perfect forum for this increasingly crazy project.

    I'm excited to be here and hopefully, with some help, I can pull off this awesome DIY laser array for many to enjoy. I am very much a newbie in this arena just to throw that out there but I have been and will continue to do my homework through this process.

    Just to quickly introduce myself, I designed The Kazbah pyramid at Burning Man and our awesome group of friends have been building it over 4 years now.

    Here are a few shots of the pyramid:





    Long story short I am setting out to build our very own array of diodes for the center 'Kazbah space canon' that shoots through the core of the structure and out a 4" x 4" opening at the very top. With my new concept I we will hack a bit more off the top for a 5" x 5" square opening.

    Our current 'laser canon' is a cluster of 38 1watt blue diodes that we rent every year is not ideal because it is in a rotating head and honestly I am thinking wayyy brighter...The event is 5 square miles about and since we file for FAA clearance on our existing laser I feel we may as well overly justify that temporary airspace


    Basically I am looking at these existing arrays (TO5 9mm 520nm Green Laser Diode Array/8W 520nm Laser Array)


    From what I read up on I want to get as close to 555nm as possible for the diodes for max visibility? Sorry for these newbie questions. I hear these 520nm Green Diodes will be about 3.5x brighter than my existing blue diodes but not so sure about that figure.


    Anyway, I am realizing this would be and insane cooling challenge but is doing a cluster of (8) of these as shown below even possible to keep within operating temp? Im thinking having them all mounted to a watercooled block...(Expecting a few laughs at this considering some of the heat sinks and water cooling rigs I have seen around even 1 single 520nm 9mm 1w diode. If it is however possible, i am the kid that will try to pull this off (hopefully with the help of someone here)

    That said, I am looking for a partner on this build and I hope someone here wants to take the plunge with me to make a little mark on the moon here. Our project at Burning Man actually has LOTS of eyes on it and this will likely be the first of many laser builds (Which I have no time for but perhaps you will moving forward) We will also be traveling with the structure in 2017 which will be a blast and offer great exposure...Just food for thought

    Anyway, here is the rough concept...



    In any case

    Thanks for the help at all on this! )'(

    Im based in San Francisco btw so if anyone is out here that is meant to be on this one. I have 8 weeks to build this or any version of it if we must go a bit smaller for starters!



    Big Thanks to PhotonLexicon! This community looks quite promising

    -Sean and the Kazbah family
    www.kazbah.org

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Apr 2016
    Posts
    162

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    Are there any videos? Can't find any videos, high exposure of the photos makes them pretty but not helpful to get an idea how it looks irl to give suggestions.

    What's the divergence of each diode in your current setup?
    To me if I visualize beams that far apart with typical divergence it takes about a kilometer or more for them to converge into one fat beam. I'm not sure but it might appear as many tiny beams from a close distance which isn't pretty.
    Knife edging can make it look better. Since the beam is not passing through a scanner with limited available space you can knife edge as many as you want.

    And maybe you're coming to a point where financially it will make more sense to make a powerful HID light passing through a color filter.

  3. #3
    Join Date
    May 2016
    Posts
    2

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    Here is one I just found. Funny its from our crew who we rent the laser 'canon' from now! (Nu-Salt Laser is incredible btw for production lasers) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BY9WGVwnwhw

    As for divergence, I dont know the specs on it unfortunately and even my buddy at Nu-Salt is rusty on them.

    I can tell you though that I actually like the look of the spaced out beams a bit. It looks like one fat beam from when your standing around the pyramid...48' down from the tip of the pyramid. Knife edging is too involved with the amount of time I have on this and is that much more to worry about with this many diodes.

    My real hope in this thread is finding someone with extensive knowledge of the arrays I posted in hopes of getting a realistic idea of cooling, power and wiring diagram.

    One day when I can really go nuts I am all for knife edging! Thx for your time!.. Keep the input comin

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Nov 2008
    Location
    Cleveland Ohio
    Posts
    2,599

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    why not use the array as an array and make a light knot rope. basically let them intersect each other in 3d space as a rope all you need to do is adjust the angle of each diode a little so they go in slightly different direction but generally up. would be a tight cone with 32 beams wrapping up the cone. Then have a tight blue beam in the middle or a spot light. Add a little smoke with a fan to blow up the center core and you got something. Wonder if you can do an inverted tornado in the smoke up the first 5 feet of so. Wild ideas for a wild display.

    As for heat can you drill the metal block holding the diodes so you can pass water through it? use a car radiator and a pump to let ambient air cool it. Even desert air is cool enough. You can have the block milled to hold the diodes at the right angles as well eliminating messing with the beam angles. Model it in a cad program. If you are worried about heat and want some motion control each diode so you can make the beams process by turning some on and some off at different times. I can see an analog system to do this where you have a circle of wood with contacts on it and a small motor that spins. By moving the contacts around you can change the pattern. Put two or three contacts on the motor so you can have two or three beams at a time. If you want them all on just move the motor real fast. Of course you can do the same as this with a microprocessor. Just closing a contact to deliver 5v to the driver. Bet you could adapt a Christmas light automation system as well. Anything that lets you modulate the 5v signal.

    Now that I think of it. I'd do the diodes in a set of rings moving from inside to out with the central core as the spot light. Have some spacing between the rings and just use a fan to cool the rings and move the fog/smoke up the cone. Put an actual cone around the first few feet to direct the smoke and create a swirl.

    Well I had fun thinking about it. Best luck.

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