Claims
- 1. In the art of producing underwater sound in a body of water the herein described improvement which comprises
- the step of dispensing under water a slug of water heated to a temperature such that when suddenly exposed to the ambient pressure at least a portion of the water in the slug will flash into steam.
- 2. Apparatus for producing underwater acoustic signals in a body of water comprising
- a housing adapted to be submerged in said body of water,
- an outlet port in said housing adapted to be submerged when said housing is submerged,
- a pressure chamber in said housing adapted to contain water,
- means for heating water in said pressure chamber to a high temperature, and
- metering means operative to dispense a measured slug of water from said pressure chamber through said outlet port.
- 3. Apparatus in accordance with claim 2 wherein said metering means is operative in one operating cycle to dispense through said outlet port a series of slugs of water of progressively increased weight.
- 4. Apparatus in accordance with claim 3 wherein said metering means includes
- a rotatably mounted circular drum,
- a plurality of wells formed in said drum in spaced relation along a circumference of said drum,
- said wells progressively increasing in volume in one direction along said circumference, and
- a portion of said circumference being in constant communication with said pressure chamber,
- means for rotating said drum in the direction opposite to said one direction whereby said wells serially aline themselves with said outlet port, and
- means responsive to the angular position of said drum for stopping its rotation after the largest of said wells has alined with said outlet port and before the smallest of said wells has lost communication with said pressure chamber.
- 5. Apparatus in accordance with claim 4 and wherein a valve means operable in timed relation with the rotation of said drum functions to open said outlet port only when one of said wells is in substantial alinement with said outlet port.
Government Interests
The invention described herein may be manufactured and used by or for the Government of the United States of America for governmental purposes without the payment of any royalties thereon or therefor.