Intrusive acoustic sensor mounting arrangement

• US 5,379,658 A
• Filed: 11/16/1992
• Issued: 01/10/1995
• Est. Priority Date: 11/16/1992
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Simmonds Precision Products, Inc. (Raytheon Technologies Corporation d/b/a RTX)
• Original Assignee: Simmonds Precision Products, Inc. (Raytheon Technologies Corporation d/b/a RTX)
• Inventors: Hoff, Frederick G., Lichtenfels, Frederick L. II
• Primary Examiner(s): RAEVIS, ROBERT R
• Application Number:
  US07/976,612
• Time in Patent Office: 785 Days
• Field of Search: 73/149, 73/32 A, 73/597, 73/624, 73/644, 73/290 V, 73/866.5, 367/908, 310/335, 310/336, 310/348
• US Class Current: 73/866.5
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 23/2962 Measuring transit time of reflected waves
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 23/2968 Transducers specially adapted for acoustic level indicators
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2291/02836 Flow rate, liquid level
• CPC Class Codes: G10K 11/004 Mounting transducers, e.g. provided with mechanical moving or orienting device mountings specially adapted to a particular sound-producing device, see the preceding groups G10K1/00 - G10K9/00, e.g. G10K1/26, G10K1/28, G10K9/22; arrangements of sonic watch equipment on submarines B63G8/39; buoys B63B22/00

Abstract

An intrusive mounting arrangement for an acoustic sensor includes an acoustic window and a flange assembly for mounting the sensor and window on a fluid tank, the flange assembly having a body portion configured to extend through an opening in the tank wall in a fluid-tight manner into the tank interior, the flange assembly having a body flange that is attachable to the tank wall; the body portion having a fluid passageway therein and a port that permits fluid in the tank to flow into the passageway; the flange assembly further comprising means for retaining the acoustic window in the passageway; the sensor comprising a body that is insertable in the fluid passageway in a fluid-tight manner; the sensor further comprising an active surface acoustically coupled to the window by fluid when the sensor is fully inserted in the passageway.

Claims

1. In combination, an acoustic fluid sensor, an acoustic window and a flange assembly for mounting said sensor and window on a fluid tank, said flange assembly having a body portion configured to extend through an opening in the tank wall in a fluid-tight manner into the tank interior, said flange assembly having a body flange that is attachable to the tank wall;

said body portion having a fluid passageway therein and a port that permits fluid in the tank to flow into said passageway;

said flange assembly further comprising means for retaining said acoustic window in said passageway;

said sensor comprising a body that is insertable in said fluid passageway in a fluid-tight manner;

said sensor further comprising an active surface acoustically coupled to said window by fluid in the tank when said sensor is fully inserted in said passageway.

2. The combination of claim 1 wherein said retaining means fixedly positions said window in said fluid passageway above at least a portion of said port.

3. The combination of claim 1 wherein said retaining means movably positions said window in said fluid passageway so as to prevent fluid loss when said sensor is less than fully inserted in said passageway.

4. The combination of claim 3 wherein said sensor repositions said acoustic window when fully inserted into said passageway whereby fluid is permitted to flow into said passageway and between said active surface and said window.

5. The combination of claim 4 wherein said retaining means comprises a counterbore in said central passageway axially spaced from said port, said retaining means comprising means for biasing said acoustic window into said counterbore.

6. The combination of claim 5 wherein said counterbore receives a resilient seal that cooperates with said acoustic window to prevent fluid loss when said sensor is less than fully inserted into said passageway.

7. The combination of claim 6 wherein said biasing means comprises a wave washer that exerts force on one surface of said acoustic window to urge an opposite surface of said window into contact with said resilient seal.

8. The combination of claim 7 wherein said resilient seal is an O-ring.

9. The combination of claim 1 wherein said acoustic window includes serrations at an interface with said sensor active surface to facilitate flow of fluid between said sensor and said window when said sensor is fully inserted into said passageway.

10. The combination of claim 1 further comprising means preventing direct abutment of said sensor active surface and said acoustic window.

11. The combination of claim 1 wherein the tank wall is a bottom fuel tank wall on an aircraft.

12. An intrusive mounting arrangement for mounting an acoustic sensor to the wall of a fluid tank, said mounting arrangement comprising a flange assembly attachable to the tank wall, said sensor having an acoustic element and further being mateable and unmateable with said flange assembly;

said flange assembly comprising an acoustic window and means for biasing said window to a first position when said sensor is unmated to prevent loss of fluid and for permitting said sensor to displace said window from said first position when mated to said flange assembly to permit container fluid to couple said acoustic element and said window acoustically.

13. The mounting arrangement of claim 12 wherein said flange assembly further comprises a port that is blocked to the tank exterior when said sensor is unmated and permits fluid to wet said acoustic element when said sensor is mated to said flange assembly.

14. The mounting arrangement of claim 13 wherein said biasing means comprises resilient means that positions said window against a seal means axially spaced from said port.

15. The mounting arrangement of claim 14 wherein said resilient means is a wave washer.

16. The mounting arrangement of claim 12 wherein said acoustic window includes means for facilitating flow of fluid between said acoustic element and said window when said sensor is mated to said flange assembly.

17. A method for intrusively mounting an acoustic sensor in a fluid tank comprising the steps of:

a. mounting a flange assembly having a fluid passageway at a through hole in the fluid tank in a fluid-tight manner;

b. sealing the flange assembly passageway to prevent fluid loss by positioning a acoustic window means to block said passageway when the sensor is uncoupled from the flange assembly; and

c. displacing said blocking means when the sensor is coupled to the flange assembly to permit fluid to wet an acoustic element of the sensor.

18. The method of claim 17 wherein the step of displacing said window includes acoustically coupling an sensor acoustic element with said acoustic window with fluid when the sensor is coupled to the flange assembly.

19. The method of claim 18 wherein the step of sealing the flange assembly is performed using a wave washer to urge said acoustic window against a seal to block fluid loss from the tank through the flange assembly when the sensor is uncoupled.

20. An intrusive mounting arrangement for mounting a sensor on a fluid tank, the mounting arrangement comprising a flange assembly attachable to the tank wall and having a fluid passageway therein, the sensor being adapted to mate and unmate with the flange assembly in the fluid passageway, the sensor being wetted by fluid when mated to the flange assembly and the flange assembly comprising means for preventing fluid loss when the sensor is unmated therefrom, wherein the preventing means comprises an acoustic window disposed in the fluid passageway, and means for permitting the sensor to be acoustically coupled to the window by tank fluid when the sensor is mated with the flange assembly.

21. The mounting arrangement of claim 20 wherein the sensor is an acoustic sensor and the preventing means comprises an acoustic window that blocks a fluid port when the sensor is unmated and permits fluid communication between the tank interior and the fluid passageway through the port when the sensor is mated to the flange assembly.

22. The mounting arrangement of claim 21 wherein the preventing means further comprises means for positioning the window in a first position when the sensor is unmated;

wherein the sensor displaces the window from the first position when the sensor is mated.

23. An intrusive mounting arrangement for mounting an acoustic transducer in a fluid container, said transducer being of the type that uses an acoustically active element and an acoustic window, said mounting arrangement comprising means for intrusively mating and unmating said transducer with the fluid container, and means for providing a wet interface between said active element and said window using fluid in the container.

24. The mounting arrangement of claim 23 further comprising means for preventing fluid loss from the container when the sensor is unmated.