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atmos:citation:instruments:tdl:tdl_cleaning

TDL Cleaning Procedure

  • This follows the cleaning procedure sent to Mike Poellot from John Buetow.
  • It is helpful to have a little jar or cup to hold all the bolts that hold the TDL together.
  • This whole cleaning procedure takes about 2-3 hours from start to finish.
  1. Remove top panel of TDL.
  2. Disconnect inlet and outlet tubing that is inside the TDL housing from the pieces connected to the back panel. Sometimes the collar of one of the fittings on the back of the TDL falls off, so make sure this piece is back inside the fitting when TDL is being reassembled.
  3. Remove 4 bolts from bottom of TDL that hold the laser cylinder and chamber in place.
  4. Remove the 6 bolts that join the reflecting mirror to the cylinder (non-box side). Set reflecting mirror aside.
  5. Disconnect the tubing leading to the chamber from the tubing that is connected to the cylinder. Remove the 6 bolts that join the cylinder to the box.
  6. Remove the 9 pin connector from the TDL chamber and remove all the little bolts that hold the top of the TDL chamber on.
  7. Carefully clean the reflecting mirror, the inside of the cylinder, and both sides of the laser window with cotton swabs soaked with acetone. Rinse all of the above with cotton swabs soaked in water.
  8. Reassemble the laser chamber, making sure the large O-ring is seated properly in the grove on the window plate. This is so the O-ring doesn't get pinched when being reassembled.
  9. Reattach the cylinder to the TDL chamber and the reflecting mirror to the cylinder.
  10. Reattach the cylinder and chamber to the bottom of the TDL housing.
  11. Reconnect all inlet and outlet tubing.
  12. Leak test the whole system to make sure all fittings are tight.

Image of the TDL Mirror on May 24, 2014 before cleaning. After cleaning the mirror looks approximately the same.

Image of the TDL Window on May 24, 2014 before cleaning.

atmos/citation/instruments/tdl/tdl_cleaning.txt · Last modified: 2024/09/19 13:32 by post