Bae Systems Information and Electronic Systems Integration Inc.

Charles P Wason, Jr

Robert J Nation

Ross J Wendell

Jason W Osborn

Michael J Krueger

Kushal Talukdar

William S McNary

Christopher G Van Valkenburgh

Ronald Carvalho

William R Leslie

Michael C Brenker

Luis Colom

Eric P Sears

A transducer system comprising a housing, an electromechanical transducer within the housing, a wicking material adjacent to a portion of the electromechanical transducer, and a multi-phase coolant solution within the housing. The multi-phase coolant solution transitions from a first phase to a second phase in response to a temperature of the electromechanical transducer exceeding a threshold temperature. In some example cases, the multi-phase coolant solution has a boiling point of less than about 60° C., which effectively defines the threshold temperature. The multi-phase coolant solution may be chosen such that it remains a liquid during a first phase (cooling via conduction), and then evaporates during a second phase (cooling via conduction and convection) as the electromechanical transducer heats up.

Evaporative cooling for transducer array

A transducer system includes a housing, an electromechanical transducer within the housing, a wicking material adjacent to a portion of the electromechanical transducer, and a coolant solution within the housing. The coolant solution transitions from a liquid phase to a gaseous phase in response to a temperature of the electromechanical transducer exceeding a threshold temperature. In some example cases, the coolant solution has a boiling point of less than about 60&#xb0; C., which effectively defines the threshold temperature. The coolant solution may be chosen such that it remains a liquid during a first phase (cooling via conduction), and then evaporates during a second phase (cooling via conduction and convection) as the electromechanical transducer heats up.

An inflatable mast couplable to an underwater vehicle includes a flexible material defining an interior volume, a head structure, and a spring coupled to at least one of the flexible material and the head structure. The flexible material is designed to be filled with air to form an inflated mast structure that extends away from the underwater vehicle. The head structure is disposed at a distal end of the inflated mast structure and in some cases has a rigid shape that forms a panel having an outer surface that is flush with an outer surface of the underwater vehicle, when the mast structure is deflated and stowed. The spring is designed to provide a tensile force on at least one of the flexible material and the head structure when the flexible material is inflated to form the mast structure. A system includes the inflatable mast and a pump.

Inflatable mast and outrigger for undersea vehicles

A rollable mast system couplable to an undersea vehicle includes a mast made of a bi-stable composite material configured to roll onto itself in a first state and to stiffen into an elongated stable shape in a second state, and a head structure coupled to a distal end of the mast. The rollable mast system further includes a spool configured to support at least a portion of the bi-stable composite material in its first state and a roller in contact with the bi-stable composite material and configured to pay out the bi-stable composite material from the spool in a direction away from a hull of the undersea vehicle. The bi-stable composite material is in the first state as it passes from the spool to the roller, and the bi-stable composite material is in the second state after it passes the roller.

Rollable mast for undersea vehicles

An acoustic projector testing system using an acoustically transparent portable vessel which encloses a test apparatus is disclosed. The vessel is connected to an adapter plate which allows the test apparatus to be submerged in water. The testing system is then submerged in shallow water. An external pump fills the vessel with water and the air inside the vessel is allowed to escape through an external, sealable vent, Once all the air is evacuated, the vent is sealed. The pressure inside the vessel can be altered by adjusting the amount of water pumped into the vessel to perform necessary testing.

System for testing an acoustic array under water load

A honeycomb-like shell is provided for an acoustic projector used in sonar applications to increase the bandwidth of the projector, reduce its weight, and to provide increased power density and reduced shell costs. The shell has outer and inner layers, with the honeycomb structure therebetween. The honeycomb shells have application in slotted cylindrical projectors, flextensional projectors, inverse flex tensional projectors, and oval-shaped projectors in which the honeycomb structure replaces the solid shells, with the honeycomb providing the relatively high specific stiffness required for the acoustic properties of the projector. The honeycomb shell achieves the same bending stiffness of the solid shells with less weight through the utilization of radial stiffeners between the inner and outer layers. The use of the honeycomb structure increases bandwidth by over 30%, and reduces total weight by 22%, shell weight by 65% and shell cost by 50%, making the honeycomb shell ideal for low frequency sonar applications.

Growing community of inventors

Amherst, NH, United States of America

Charles P Wason, Jr