Physically damped noise canceling hydrophone

• US 10,197,689 B1
• Filed: 06/24/2016
• Issued: 02/05/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 06/24/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Government of the United States of America
• Original Assignee: the united states of america as represented by the secretary of the navy
• Inventors: Szelag, Jeffrey A, Zarnetske, Michael R
• Primary Examiner(s): Hulka, James R
• Application Number:
  US15/191,836
• Time in Patent Office: 956 Days
• Field of Search: 367157
• CPC Class Codes: G01H 11/08 using piezoelectric devices
• CPC Class Codes: G01V 1/186 Hydrophones
• CPC Class Codes: G10K 11/002 Devices for damping, suppressing, obstructing or conducting sound in acoustic devices G10K1/06 - G10K1/10 take precedence; for electro-mechanical transducers for communication H04R3/002

Abstract

A hydrophone is provided which includes at least four piezoelectric sensors mounted to a central section of syntactic acoustic dampening material as well as a layer of corprene between the piezoelectric sensors and the central section. Each of the piezoelectric sensors includes radially poled piezoelectric cylinders wired in series with inert polycarbonate endcaps and an isolator layer. The piezoelectric cylinders are assembled co-axially. The piezoelectric cylinders are then adhered to the central section and sandwich a layer of corprene. The corprene also adds noise dampening properties.

Claims

1. A hydrophone comprising:

a cylindrical core with two end planes and at least four indents spaced ninety degrees apart between each said end plane with said core being syntactic acoustic dampening material;

a layer of corprene adhered to each of said indents; and

at least four cylindrical piezoelectric sensors;

each of said sensors sized to position within each of said indents;

wherein each said layer of corprene is affixed therebetween each of said sensors and said core.

2. The hydrophone in accordance with claim 1 wherein each of said sensors are assembled co-axially with radially poled piezoelectric cylinders wired in series, polycarbonate endcaps and an isolator layer.