Information
-
Patent Grant
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6320821
-
Patent Number
6,320,821
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Date Filed
Thursday, April 27, 200024 years ago
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Date Issued
Tuesday, November 20, 200122 years ago
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Inventors
-
Original Assignees
-
Examiners
Agents
-
CPC
-
US Classifications
Field of Search
US
- 367 143
- 367 142
- 181 120
- 181 119
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International Classifications
-
Abstract
A fluidborne projector of sound derived from an electro-mechanical noise source translates acoustical energy through a piston subjected to balanced pressures of gas and liquid to enabled dynamic displacement thereof. Such displacement of the piston to a static position is regulated by controlled pressurization of gas, mechanically limited to prevent damage from changing pressures exerted on the piston.
Description
The present invention relates generally to the translation of acoustical energy into a body of liquid such as water from a high power acoustical source.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Acoustical energy projector devices, such as a fluidborne noise source delivering underwater sound are generally known in the art. Such projector devices when adapted for use in a piping system operating under high pressures of up to 1000 psi for example, have been found to be unsuitable because of their fragility, subjecting it to damage during operation and its inability to deliver acoustical energy at a relatively high power level. It is therefore an important object of the present invention to provide an acoustical projector of fluidborne sound or noise within a wide acoustical spectrum, with a monitored input under control and to prevent damage due to changing system pressures entrapped in the delivery device.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In accordance with the present invention, an acoustical projector device is provided for a fluidborne noise generating system, within which input acoustical energy at controllable power level is translated to a body of liquid through a piston undergoing displacement to a static position within a pressure sealed chamber assembly through which gas and liquid are applied to the piston under automatically balanced pressures, with further regulated positioning of the piston being effected by controlled pressurization and venting of the gas within the piston chamber. Displacement of the piston is also mechanically limited to prevent damage by changing operational pressures exerted thereon to thereby accommodate a wide diversity of characteristics of the acoustical energy to be translated, such as sound frequencies, tones, bands and wave forms.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWING FIGURES
A more complete appreciation of the invention and many of its attendant advantages will be readily appreciated as the same becomes better understood by reference to the following detailed description when considered in connection with the accompanying drawing wherein:
FIG. 1
is a side elevation view of an acoustical projector device in accordance with one embodiment, in association with other components of a fluidborne noise generating system;
FIG. 2
is a transverse section view of the projector device, taken substantially through a plane indicated by section line
2
—
2
in
FIG. 1
;
FIG. 3
is a partial section view taken substantially through a plane indicated by section line
3
—
3
in
FIG. 2
;
FIG. 4
is a side section view of the projector device taken substantially through a plane indicated by section line
4
—
4
in
FIG. 2
; and
FIG. 4A
is an enlarged portion of the section view of
FIG. 4
, illustrating mechanical limiting of piston displacement in the projector device.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
Referring now to the drawing in detail,
FIG. 1
illustrates a fluidborne noise generating system generally referred to by reference numeral
10
, having an acoustic projector device
12
constructed in accordance with the present invention for supply of fluidborne sound through at tubular output conduit
14
to a liquid retention facility such as a water piping system, a tank or a sea chest. An external source of sound for the projector device
12
is derived from an electromechanical or piezoelectric type shaker
16
, generally known in the art, attached to a tubular input end portion
18
of the projector device
12
. The tubular input portion
18
axially projects through an annular section
20
of the projector device
12
into an abutting annular projector section
22
in slidably sealed relation to the section
20
. The projector sections
20
and
22
are held in assembled attachment to the tubular output conduit
14
through an annular flange portion
24
thereof by a plurality of threaded fastener bolts
26
. As shown in
FIGS. 1
,
2
and
3
, each of such fastener bolts
26
has at one axial end a head portion
28
abutting the projector section
20
and is threaded at its opposite axial end for reception of a nut
30
in abutment with the conduit flange portion
24
closely spaced from the projector section
22
by a gasket seal
32
.
With continued reference to
FIG. 1
, in accordance with one embodiment of the sound generating system
10
with which the projector device
12
is associated, an amplified electrical power source
34
delivers a driving signal
36
through wiring
38
to the shaker
16
under control of an input signal in wiring
40
generated by an acoustic spectrum analyzer system
42
in accordance with different variable sensor data from analyzer modules
44
,
46
and
48
. The analyzer module
44
is connected by a sensor output signal line
49
to the tubular input portion
18
of the projector device
12
, while the analyzer modules
46
and
48
are respectively connected by hydrophonic and accelerometer pressure signal lines
50
and
52
to monitoring taps
54
and
56
on the tubular output conduit
14
of the projector device
12
. Gas venting and liquid pressure controls are also provided for the projector device
12
, as hereinafter explained, through pressure monitoring lines
58
and
60
respectively connected to the projector sections
20
and
22
by taps
59
and
61
. Such pressure monitoring lines
58
and
60
are respectively connected to opposite ends of a pressure-tight tank
62
for respective communication with pressurized bodies of gas
64
and liquid
66
therein, as shown in FIG.
1
. Pressure is monitored through a tap
72
in the projector section
22
under control of valve
74
by a gauge
70
, while pressurized gas, such as air, is supplied to the projector section
20
through a tap
68
under gas venting control of a manually operated valve
75
. Venting of gas within the projector device
12
occurs through a radial passage
76
in projector section
22
as shown in
FIG. 4
, hereinafter referred to in connection with the internal details of the projector device
12
.
With continued reference to
FIG. 4
, the sound output of the shaker
16
is transmitted to the tubular input portion
18
of the projector device
12
at its external end through a connector
78
. Such tubular input portion
18
is connected at its internal end within the projector section
22
to a piston
80
at a larger diameter end
82
thereof. Axial displacement of the piston
80
is thereby induced within a larger diameter chamber
84
internally formed within the section
22
and terminating at one axial end of a smaller diameter chamber portion
86
within the projector section
20
, extending axially toward the gasket seal
32
through which acoustical energy is translated within a passage in the tubular conduit
14
along its axis in common with the axis
88
of the projector device
12
.
The projector section
22
as shown in
FIGS. 4 and 4A
has a portion
90
projecting into the section
20
and in interfitting relation thereto through an annular seal
92
. Another annual seal
94
is carried in the larger diameter portion
106
of the piston
80
to seal opposite end portions of the larger diameter chamber
84
from each other in the section
22
. A third annular seal
96
on the piston
80
in close adjacency to its smaller diameter end
98
is provided to seal chamber
86
from the axial end of the larger diameter chamber
84
into which gas venting passage
76
extends. The other axial end of chamber
84
is in communication through passages with the gas tap
59
to the tank
62
and the gas pressure tap
68
. Chamber
86
is also in communication with tank
62
through passage to the liquid tap
61
in section
22
as shown in
FIG. 1
, while pressurized liquid is received in chamber
86
through valve
74
and tap
72
.
It is apparent from the foregoing description that the external sound producing operation of the shaker
16
, isolated from water exposure, translates acoustical energy into vibratory movement of the piston
80
to a static position between displacement limits as shown in
FIGS. 4 and 4A
for projecting sound into liquid through conduit
14
at different sound frequencies under control exercised by balancing between pressures of the liquid and gas in chambers
84
and
86
through taps
59
and
61
. Such balancing is automatically performed by monitoring piston displacement velocity through an underwater type acceleration sensor
100
within the projector end portion
18
connected by signal line
49
as shown in
FIG. 4
to the data module
44
shown in
FIG. 1
for control over operation of the shaker
16
by the amplified power source
34
through the spectrum analyzer system
42
. Changing system pressure during such automatically controlled operation is affected by limiting displacement of the piston
80
within chamber
84
. As shown in
FIG. 4A
, the diametrically larger chamber
84
extends axially between an annular stop surface
102
in the projector section
20
and a radially smaller annular stop surface
104
on the projector section
22
. A diametrically larger portion
106
of the piston
80
is engageable with such stop surfaces
102
and
104
to limit its displacement. Also, the position of piston
80
between stops
102
and
104
is regulated by pressurized gas supplied to chamber
84
through tap
68
, while the gas therein is vented at one axial end through passage
76
. Pressurized air at the other axial end portion of chamber
84
is monitored by gauge
70
through tap
68
. Pressurized gas is accordingly added to chamber
84
or vented therefrom while damage from changing system pressures from chamber portion
86
is prevented and different types of sound and a diversity of wave forms is accommodated under control of the drive signals generated by the spectrum analyzer system
42
.
Obviously, other modifications and variation of the present invention may be possible in light of the foregoing teachings. It is therefore to be understood that within the scope of the appended claims the invention may be practiced otherwise than as specifically described.
Claims
- 1. In combination with a device for projecting sound into a body of liquid through a piston having opposite axial ends respectively exposed acoustically to the body of liquid and mechanically to a sound generating power source; means for respectively exposing said opposite ends of the piston to gas and liquid under balanced pressures; chamber means within which displacement is acoustically imparted by the sound generating power source to the piston under said balanced pressures; means for venting gas from said chamber means; and pressure control means for regulating pressurization of the gas in the chamber means.
- 2. The combination as defined in claim 1, wherein said pressure control means comprises, a source of pressurized gas and valve means through which said source of pressurized gas is connected to the chamber means for supply of the pressurized gas thereto to which one of the axial ends of the piston is exposed.
- 3. The combination as defined in claim 2, wherein said chamber means includes an axially extending portion formed between axially spaced stop surfaces engageable by the piston to mechanically limit said displacement thereof.
- 4. The combination as defined in claim 3, wherein said piston includes a diametrically larger portion axially extending from said one of the axial ends of the piston, said larger portion of the piston being engageable with the stop surfaces.
- 5. The combination as defined in claim 4, wherein said chamber means further includes a diametrically smaller portion to which the liquid is confined under one of the balanced pressures to which said one of the axial ends of the piston is exposed.
- 6. The combination as defined in claim 1, wherein said chamber means includes an axially extending portion formed between axially spaced stop surfaces engageable by the piston to mechanically limit said displacement thereof.
- 7. The combination as defined in claim 6, wherein said chamber means further includes a diametrically smaller portion to which the liquid is confined under one of the balanced pressures to which one of the axial ends of the piston is exposed.
- 8. The combination as defined in claim 6, wherein said piston includes a diametrically larger portion axially extending from one of the axial ends of the piston, said portion of the piston being engageable with the stop surfaces.
- 9. In combination with a device for projecting sound into a body of liquid through a piston having opposite axial ends respectively exposed acoustically to the body of liquid and mechanically to a high power acoustical source; means for respectively exposing said opposite ends of the piston to gas and liquid under balanced pressures; chamber means within which displacement is acoustically imparted to the piston under said balanced pressures; and means for preventing damage to the device from changing of the balanced pressures during generation of the sound projected, comprising: means for limiting the displacement of the piston within the chamber means; means for venting gas from said chamber means; and pressure control means for regulating pressurization of the gas in the chamber means.
- 10. The combination as defined in claim 9, wherein said means for limiting the displacement of the piston comprises: a portion of the chamber means formed between axially spaced stop surfaces therein; and a diametrically larger portion of the piston engageable with the stop surfaces.
US Referenced Citations (5)