Westinghouse Electric Corporation

Ocean Systems Research, Inc.

James K Andersen

James W White

John H Thompson

Carl L Hikes

A uniquely designed acoustic transducer comprising a stack of piezoceramic elements (other piezoelectric materials may be used) mounted upon a tuned, shaped transmit/receive head made of hardened metal alloy. The ceramic stack is preloaded to the head via a stress bolt. Insulator electrodes used in the ceramic stack are selected to minimize compliance in the stack for maximum efficiency. All the material properties, sizes, weights, etc., as well as the overall transducer design are carefully selected to act in combination to match the impedance of the load (i.e. metal structural framework). The diameter of the tip of the tuned, shaped driving head is sized such that when clamped to a metal framework, the base metal of the material just under the tip is compressed to or slightly beyond its yield point. This eliminates the requirement for surface preparation because any coatings will be displaced under the applied pressure and any surface irregularities will be flattened out. The underside of the clamping member used to hold the transducer assembly in place consists of a half wave length reflecting waveguide designed to reflect any absorbed energy back into the load. Thus, the attachment points for both the reflector and the transducer head of the clamping device effectively appear invisible to the driving transducer under load.

Acoustic transducer for sending and receiving acoustic communication

An autonomous ice penetrator/payload delivery system is provided which, when once launched from its parent vehicle will, upon reaching the surface of the ice automatically right itself to proper orientation with respect to the ice surface for penetration. A modified solid propellant rocket engine is used as the heat source to penetrate the ice rapidly and automatically is ignited upon the ice pentrator/payload containment vessel attaining proper orientation with its longitudinal axis substantially normal to the ice surface. The hot gasses of combustion produced by the modified rocket engine impinge upon the ice thereby melting it. As the ice is melted and penetrated, the penetrator/payload containment vessel will follow the receding ice surface either by gravity, or by motive forces provided by the modified rocket engine, or both. In situations where the ice penetrator is launched below the surface of the ice, buoyancy built into the penetrator system containment vessel will cause it to penetrate the ice either due to its buoyancy alone or in conjunction with a motive force developed by the modified rocket engine. The penetrator system container in conjunction with the bore hole formed by the melting ice also functions as a guide to maintain verticality of the penetrator during the initial stages of penetration of the ice surface. The walls of the subsequent bore hole formed in the ice and the generally long, cylindrical shape of the penetrator/payload containment vessel body naturally coact to maintain the vertical penetration angle.

Autonomous rapid thermal ice penetrating method and system

A connector having a metal shell which would normally be subject to galvanic action in an underwater environment. The metal shell includes a protective plastic coating of polyphenylene sulfide resin electrodeposited thereon and over a portion of which plastic coating an encapsulating boot is bonded. The arrangement insures that no delamination of the encapsulant will occur due to galvanic reactions.

Underwater electrical connector

A transducer array which includes backing and an acoustic window separated by a plurality of elongated parallel rail members having notches in the sidewalls thereof. Notches in adjacent rail members accommodate a stave member which carries a plurality of transducer elements. A stave member may be placed in the notch and slid into position from which it may be easily removed by reversing the process. The design is such that when used with a fairing to provide hydrodynamic shape, the assembly may be free-flooded with the surrounding water medium. In situ replacement of a transducer element may be accomplished by removal of a small section of the fairing and the subsequent removal of one or more stave members.

Growing community of inventors

Arnold, MD, United States of America

James K Andersen