Purpose

• Design and development of safe and reliable opto-igniters and
  opto-detonators for civil and
  defense applications according
  to the user’s requirements
• Study of energetic materials sensitive
  to laser initiation with mastered
  pyrotechnical safety.

ISL two-stage opto-pyrotechnical
detonator (ISL patent)

Skills

• Opto-initiator manufacturing and performance assessment
• Energetic material formulation for
  laser initiation
• Laser initiation threshold determination.

 
1 W laser diode

Results

• Opto-detonator initiated by a 1 W laser diode for space applications
• Opto-detonator initiated by a compact solid laser with a working time dispersion ≤ 5 μs
• Opto-igniter for pyromechanism, validated by space flight aboard a satellite (CNES 2004). 

 
Opto-igniter based on SELFOC microlens



ISL optopyro-igniter aboard the
DEMETER satellite (CNES, July 2004)

Facilities

• Detonics and combustion facilities
• X-ray cinematography, laser Doppler velocimetry
• Closed bomb pressure measurement
• Safety and thermal environment tests