Low-frequency sound source for underwater sound propagation research and calibration

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10144035-B1
Application number	US-201715684767-A
Country	US
Kind code	B1
Filing date	Aug 23, 2017
Priority date	Aug 23, 2017
Publication date	Dec 4, 2018
Grant date	Dec 4, 2018

Abstract

A variable inductor includes a three-limbed core first section having an inductor winding wound about a medial limb. An air gap is disposed in the medial limb. The inductor includes a second section having a control limb in which a first end of the control limb is connected to a first outer limb of the three-limbed core, and a second end of the control limb is connected to a second outer limb of the three-limbed core. A control winding is wound about the control limb. The inductor may be used in a control circuit to control a power signal driving a transducer. The inductor may be controlled by a signal derived from a comparison of a voltage phase of a power signal to the transducer and a phase of the current traversing the transducer. A system may include the control circuit, including the variable inductor, and the transducer.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A control system for a transducer, comprising:
a controller configured to transmit a transducer signal and a control signal, and to receive a return signal;
an amplifier configured to receive the transducer signal and transmit a power signal, wherein the power signal depends at least in part on the transducer signal;
a variable inductor configured to:
receive the power signal at an inductor input;
transmit an inductor signal at an inductor output; and
adjust an electrical characteristic of the inductor signal depending at least in part on the control signal; and

a phase comparator configured to transmit to the controller a comparison signal,
wherein the comparison signal depends at least in part on a comparison of a first signal indicative of a voltage phase of the power signal with a second signal indicative of a current phase of the return signal, and
wherein the control signal depends at least in part on the comparison signal.

2. The control system of claim 1 , wherein the transducer signal is a frequency modulated signal.

3. The control system of claim 2 , wherein the frequency modulated signal is modulated in a frequency range of 500 Hz to 1000 Hz.

4. The control system of claim 1 , wherein the electrical characteristic of the inductor signal comprises a voltage phase of the inductor signal.

5. The control system of claim 4 , wherein the controller is configured to transmit a control signal that, upon receipt of the control signal by the variable inductor, minimizes a difference between the first signal and the second signal.

6. The control system of claim 1 , wherein the variable inductor comprises:
a first core, comprising:
a first outer limb;
a second outer limb;
a medial limb disposed between the first outer limb and the second outer limb;
a first framing portion coupled to a first side of the first outer limb, a first side of the second outer limb, and a first side of the medial limb;
a second framing portion coupled to a second side of the first outer limb and a second side of the second outer limb;
an air gap dispose between a second side of the medial limb and the second framing portion; and
a variable inductor winding having a first end and a second end, wherein the variable inductor winding is wound on the medial limb; and

a second core, comprising:
a control core limb; and
a control winding having a first end and a second end, wherein the control winding is wound on the control core limb,

wherein a first side of the control core limb is coupled to the first outer limb and a second side of the control core limb is coupled to the second outer limb.

7. The control system of claim 6 , wherein the first end of the variable inductor winding is configured to receive the power signal and the first end of the control winding is configured to receive the control signal.

8. The control system of claim 7 , wherein the controller is electrically coupled to the second end of the control winding.

9. A system comprising:
a transducer;
a controller configured to transmit a transducer signal and a control signal, and to receive a return signal from an output of the transducer;
an amplifier configured to receive the transducer signal and transmit a power signal to an input of a variable inductor, wherein the power signal depends at least in part on the transducer signal;
the variable inductor, wherein the variable inductor is configured to:
receive the power signal at an inductor input;
transmit an inductor signal at an inductor output to an input of the transducer; and
adjust an electrical characteristic of the inductor signal depending at least in part on the control signal; and

a phase comparator configured to transmit to the controller a comparison signal,
wherein the comparison signal depends at least in part on a comparison of a first signal indicative of a voltage phase of the power signal with a second signal indicative of a current phase of the return signal from the transducer, and
wherein the control signal depends at least in part on the comparison signal.

10. The system of claim 9 , wherein the electrical characteristic of the inductor signal comprises a voltage phase of the inductor signal.

11. The system of claim 10 , wherein the controller is configured to transmit a control signal that, upon receipt of the control signal by the variable inductor, minimizes a difference between the first signal and the second signal.

12. The system of claim 11 , wherein the variable inductor is configured to minimize a difference between the voltage phase of the inductor signal and the current phase of the return signal from the transducer upon receipt, by the variable inductor, of the control signal from the controller.

13. The system of claim 9 , wherein the variable inductor comprises:
a first core, comprising:
a first outer limb;
a second outer limb;
a medial limb disposed between the first outer limb and the second outer limb;
a first framing portion coupled to a first side of the first outer limb, a first side of the second outer limb, and a first side of the medial limb;
a second framing portion coupled to a second side of the first outer limb and a second side of the second outer limb;
an air gap disposed between a second side of the medial limb and the second framing portion; and
a variable inductor winding having a first end and a second end, wherein the variable inductor winding is wound on the medial limb; and

a second core, comprising:
a control core limb; and
a control winding having a first end and a second end, wherein the control winding is wound on the control core limb,

wherein a first side of the control core limb is coupled to the first outer limb and a second side of the control core limb is coupled to the second outer limb.

14. The system of claim 13 , wherein the first end of the variable inductor winding is configured to receive the power signal and the second end of the variable inductor winding is configured to transmit the inductor signal to an input of the transducer.

15. The system of claim 13 , wherein the first end of the control winding is configured to receive the control signal.

16. The system of claim 13 , wherein the controller is electrically coupled to the second end of the control winding.

17. A method of controlling a transducer, the method comprising:
transmitting, by a controller, a transducer signal to an amplifier, wherein the amplifier, in response to receiving the transducer signal, transmits a power signal to a variable inductor having a variable inductor output electrically coupled in series with an input of the transducer;
receiving, by the controller, a return signal from an output of the transducer;
receiving, by the controller, a comparison signal from a phase comparator, wherein the comparison signal depends at least in part on a comparison of a first signal indicative of a voltage phase of the power signal with a second signal indicative of a current phase of the return signal from the output of the transducer; and
transmitting, by the controller, a control signal to the variable inductor, wherein the variable inductor, in response to receiving the control signal, adjusts an electrical characteristic of an output signal of the variable inductor.

18. The method of claim 17 , wherein transmitting, by a controller, a transducer signal to an amplifier comprises transmitting, by a controller, a frequency modulated signal to an amplifier.

19. The method of claim 18 , further comprising modulating

Assignees

• Teledyne Instruments Inc

Inventors

• Morozov Andrey K
• Webb Douglas C

Classifications

• B06B1/0207 Primary

  Driving circuits (specially adapted for particular applications, see the relevant subclass, e.g. G01; circuits for steering transducer arrays G10K11/34; basic circuits H03) · CPC title

• H01F27/2823

  Wires (H01F27/2866 takes precedence) · CPC title

• H01F21/005

  Inductances without magnetic core · CPC title

• Y02A90/30

  Assessment of water resources · CPC title

• H01F21/08

  by varying the permeability of the core, e.g. by varying magnetic bias · CPC title