Unisys Corporation

Sperry Corporation

Lockheed Martin Tactical Systems, Inc.

John D Lea

Kenneth W Groves

Alfred Denaro

Thomas J Bertram

An acoustic baffle for reflecting sound waves and rejecting background interference noise for use with a hydrophone array. The baffle utilizes a plurality of lenticular resilient elements embedded in a compliant foam elastomer compound. The embedded elements provide control of overall baffle compliance for submarine applications, particularly for high hydrostatic pressure operation. The resilient members are formed from pairs of resilient lenticular shaped elements which are integrally bonded to a highly damped constrained viscoelastic layer to provide uniform noise reduction performance over a broad frequency range. The pairs of elements are joined at their ends by compliant end caps which provide minimum constraint on the motion of the ends, thus limiting bending stresses in the elements. The members are designed to freely deflect up to a maximum operating depth, at which point the elements bottom and no further deflection occurs, thereby assuring that deflections of the members do not exceed a design limit, even when the apparatus is tested at depths exceeding its operating range.

Controlled compliance acoustic baffle

An element responsive to acoustic particle acceleration for sensing acoustic signals in a region of low acoustic pressure is disclosed. The element may be isolated from acoustic noise when positioned adjacent an acoustic noise generating high acoustic impedance structure by a baffle which provides isolation from radiated and evanescent acoustic signals and structure vibration.

Acoustic particle acceleration sensor and array of such sensors

An apparatus for determining an angle of incidence of a received signal utilizes two widely spaced interferometers with equal length crossing baselines. The time differential of a signal arrival between the two elements of each interferometer is established and the difference between the two time differentials is determined. Multiplying this difference by a predetermined constant provides the desired angle.

Angle tracking system

A sonar array wherein the capacitance associated with the hydrophones of the array are utilized as shunt elements in an artificial transmission line in order to form an acoustic beam. Series inductance elements to the transmission line are variable with d.c. current flowing through coils wound about a magnetic core about which coils forming the series inductance of the line are also wound, thus permitting the sonar beam to be steered to any desired position.

Growing community of inventors

Huntington, NY, United States of America

John D Lea