Flexural cylinder projector
AssigneeLockheed Martin Corporation
InventorRaymond Porzio
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An inverse flextensional projector exhibits a low frequency flexural mode and a higher frequency “breathing” mode to defeat stealthy targets and to conduct short and long range detection and tracking in littoral waters. The device has much broader bandwidth than conventional flextensional transducers, slotted cylinders and conventional cylinder transducers. The device has a low frequency capability similar to slotted cylinder projectors (SCP) but is broader band and does not suffer from the unsupported gap of SCP projectors. The invention has a more uniform radiation velocity than both SCP and flextensional transducers, making it much less susceptible to cavitation limitations.
Claims31
A flextensional apparatus for use in a flextensional transducer, comprising:
- a shell having an internal hollow bounded at a top surface and a bottom surface by a concavo—concave arm arrangement, each arm having a first and second end and each of a given thickness, with the top concave arm and the bottom concavo arm joined at the first end by a common thicker first end portion and each arm joined at the second end by corresponding common thicker second end portion;
- a plurality of vibratable elements arranged in a stack from a first end to a second end, said stack positioned in the hollow of said shell and extending from one end of the hollow to the other end and positioned along an axis such that said first and second arms are symmetrically disposed with respect to said axis;
- a first radiator extending in a first direction relatively from the center of said first arm and operably coupled thereto, and a second radiator extending in an opposite direction from the center of said second arm and operably coupled thereto, whereby when said elements vibrate, said arms deform to cause said radiators to alter position according to said deformation, and wherein said first radiator and said second radiator each have a symmetrical mushroom configuration.
A flextensional transducer comprising:
- a drive assembly comprising a stack of one or more vibratable elements responsive to an alternating power source;
- a flextensional shell having an internal hollow for accommodating said drive assembly, said shell having
- first and second bulbous end portions, each adapted to receive a corresponding end of the drive assembly, and
- a concavo-concave arm arrangement, each arm having a first and second end terminating at a respective one of said bulbous end portions, thereby defining said hollow, and
- a first radiator extending in a first direction relatively from the center of said first arm and operably coupled thereto, and
- a second radiator extending in an opposite direction relatively from the center of said second arm and operably coupled thereto, wherein said first radiator and said second radiator each have a symmetrical mushroom configuration, whereby when said elements vibrate, said arms deform to cause said first and second radiators to alter position according to said deformation.
A flextensional apparatus for use in a flextensional transducer, comprising:
- a shell having an internal hollow bounded at a top surface and a bottom surface by a concavo—concave arm arrangement, each arm having a first and second end and each of a given thickness, with the top concave arm and the bottom concavo arm joined at the first end by a common thicker first end portion and each arm joined at the second end by corresponding common thicker second end portion;
- and a pair of projecting tabs extending from substantially the midpoint of each of the concavo and concave arms in opposite direction along a longitudinal axis thereof, each tab adapted for engaging a corresponding radiator to generate vibrational motion in response to deformation of said shell.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.