Apparatus for farfield directional pressure evaluation

Claim 1

An apparatus for obtaining the farfield pressure intensity measurement in a given direction of a sonorous source placed in a fluid medium from pressure measurements taken in the nearfield of the source, the apparatus comprising: (a) an acoustic antenna positioned close to the source and responsive to the acoustic pressure generated in the fluid by the source, for measuring the pressure generated by the source in its nearfield, said antenna having at least one receptor, each receptor of said antenna including two oppositely facing parallel planar arrays of acoustic detectors, each detector generating a detector signal, said planar arrays separated by a predetermined distance, and where said detectors in each said planar array of detection are positioned to form a predetermined matrix of detectors, said receptors positionable within said antenna to map the nearfield of the source; and (b) a processing unit connected to said antenna and responsive to the detector signals for processing the detector signals, said processing unit including, (1) a plurality of signal conditioning means, each signal conditioning means connected to a receptor and responsive to the detector signals, for generating the farfield pressure intensity field contribution of the acoustic energy received by each receptor, and (2) a combining means responsive to the outputs from said plurality of signal conditioning means, for combining the farfield pressure intensity contribution signals from each receptor at each position used to map the nearfield of the source, the output from said combining means comprising the farfield pressure intensity in a given direction.

Claim 2

An apparatus for obtaining the farfield pressure intensity measurement in a given direction of a sonorous source placed in a fluid medium from pressure measurements taken in the nearfield of the source, the apparatus comprising: (a) an acoustic antenna positioned close to the source and responsive to the acoustic pressure generated in the fluid by the source, for measuring the pressure generated by the source in its nearfield, said antenna having at least one receptor, each receptor of said antenna including two oppositely facing parallel planar arrays of acoustic detectors, each detector generating a detector signal, said planar arrays separated by a predetermined distance, and where said detectors in each said planar array of detection are positioned to form a predetermined matrix of detectors, said receptors positionable within said antenna to map the nearfield of the source; and (b) a processing unit connected to said antenna and responsive to the detector signals for processing the detector signals, said processing unit including, (1) a plurality of signal conditioning means, each signal conditioning means connected to a receptor and responsive to the detector signals, for generating the farfield pressure intensity field contribution of the acoustic energy received by each receptor, and (2) a combining means responsive to the outputs from said plurality of signal conditioning means, for combining the farfield pressure intensity contribution signals from each receptor at each position used to map the nearfield of the source, the output from said combining means comprising the farfield pressure intensity in a given direction.

Claim 8

The apparatus according to claims 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 or 6 wherein each said signal conditioning means further includes a plurality of electrical delay lines, for electrically time delaying the detector signals for a detector or groups of detectors in a given plannar array thereby generating an electrical rotationof the chosen direction of the farfield pressure intensity to be measured.

Claim 17

An apparatus for obtaining the farfield pressure intensity field in a given direction of a sonorous source placed in a fluid medium from pressure measurements taken in the nearfield of the source, the apparatus comprising: (a) an acoustic antenna positioned close to the source and responsive to the acoustic pressure generated in the fluid by the source, for generating electrical signals characteristic of the pressure produced by the source in its nearfield, said antenna having first and second receptors wherein each receptor includes, (1) two opposite parallel planes spaced apart by a predetermined distance whereby the separation distance allows for the generation of a signal representative of the particle acceleration of the fluid, and (2) an array of detectors mounted on each said parallel plane to form a matrix, each said detector producing a detector signal in response to an applied acoustic pressure, said first receptor fixed in a position that defines the direction of the farfield pressure intensity to be measured, and said second receptor varying in position; and (b) a processing unit connected to said antenna and responsive to the detector signals from said antenna, for generating the farfield pressure intensity in a given direction from the nearfield pressure measurements, said processing unit including, (1) a signal conditioning means associated with each receptor, for generating the farfield pressure contribution for the acoustic energy received by each receptor, each said signal conditioning means including, (i) a means connected to said receptor and responsive to the detector signals, for generating a planar average pressure signal for the acoustic energy received by each plane of each receptor from the summed together detector signals generated by each detector in each plane, (ii) a means responsive to the planar average pressure signal from a receptor, for generating a receptor average pressure signal representative of the average value of the acoustic pressure between the planes of the receptor, (iii) a means for generating the time derivative of the receptor average pressure signal, (iv) a subtracting means responsive to the planar average value signals, for generating the difference between the planar average pressure signals of each plane of the receptor, the output signal from said subtracting means comprising the average particle acceleration of the fluid generated by the source, and (v) a summation means responsive to said derivative means and said subtracting means, for summing together the derivative of the receptor average pressure signal and the average particle acceleration signal, the output from said summation means comprising the farfield pressure contribution for the acoustic energy received by the receptor, and (2) a multiplying means connected to the outputs of said signal conditioning means, for generating the time average from the results of the multiplication of the farfield pressure contribution signals from each receptor, and (3) an adder, for adding together the output signals from said multiplying means obtained at each position of said second receptor, the added together signals forming the farfield pressure intensity of the source in the chosen direction.

Claim 18

An apparatus for obtaining the farfield pressure intensity field in a given direction of a sonorous source placed in a fluid medium from pressure measurements taken in the nearfield of the source, the apparatus comprising: (a) an acoustic antenna positioned close to the source and responsive to the acoustic pressure generated in the fluid by the source, for generating electrical signals characteristic of the pressure produced by the source in its nearfield, said antenna having first and second receptors wherein each receptor includes, (1) two opposite parallel planes spaced apart by a predetermined distance whereby the separation distance allows for the generation of a signal representative of the particle acceleration of the fluid, and (2) an array of detectors mounted on each said parallel plane to form a matrix, each said detector producing a detector signal in response to an applied acoustic pressure, said first receptor fixed in a position that defines the direction of the farfield pressure intensity to be measured, and said second receptor varying in position; and (b) a processing unit connected to said antenna and responsive to the detector signals from said antenna, for generating the farfield pressure intensity in a given direction from the nearfield pressure measurements, said processing unit including, (1) a signal conditioning means associated with each receptor, for generating the farfield pressure contribution for the acoustic energy received by each receptor, each said signal conditioning means including, (i) a means connected to said receptor and responsive to the detector signals, for generating a planar average pressure signal for the acoustic energy received by each plane of each receptor from the summed together detector signals generated by each detector in each plane, (ii) a means responsive to the planar average pressure signal from a receptor, for generating a receptor average pressure signal representative of the average value of the acoustic pressure between the planes of the receptor, (iii) a means for generating the time derivative of the receptor average pressure signal, (iv) a subtracting means responsive to the planar average value signals, for generating the difference between the planar average pressure signals of each plane of the receptor, the output signal from said subtracting means comprising the average particle acceleration of the fluid generated by the source, and (v) a summation means responsive to said derivative means and said subtracting means, for summing together the derivative of the receptor average pressure signal and the average particle acceleration signal, the output from said summation means comprising the farfield pressure contribution for the acoustic energy received by the receptor, and (2) a multiplying means connected to the outputs of said signal conditioning means, for generating the time average from the results of the multiplication of the farfield pressure contribution signals from each receptor, and (3) an adder, for adding together the output signals from said multiplying means obtained at each position of said second receptor, the added together signals forming the farfield pressure intensity of the source in the chosen direction.

Claim 20

The apparatus according to claims 16, or 17 wherein each said signal conditioning means further includes a plurality of electrical delay lines, for electrically time delaying the detector signals for a detector or groups of detectors in a given planar array thereby generating an electrical rotationof the chosen direction of the farfield pressure intensity to be measured.

Claim 21

An apparatus for obtaining the farfield pressure intensity field in a given direction of a sonorous source placed in a fluid medium from pressure measurements taken in the nearfield of the source, the apparatus comprising: (a) an acoustic antenna positioned close to the source and responsive to the acoustic pressure generated in the fluid by the source, for generating electrical signals characteristic of the pressure produced by the source in its nearfield, said antenna having first and second receptors wherein each receptor includes, (1) two opposite parallel planes spaced apart by a predetermined distance whereby the separation distance allows for the generation of a signal representative of the particle acceleration of the fluid, and (2) an array of detectors mounted on each said parallel plane to form a matrix, each said detector producing a detector signal in response to an applied acoustic pressure, said first receptor fixed in a position that defines the direction of the farfield pressure intensity to be measured, and said second receptor varying in position; and (b) a processing unit connected to said antenna and responsive to the detector signals from said antenna, for generating the farfield pressure intensity in a given direction from the nearfield pressure measurements, said processing unit including, (1) a signal conditioning means associated with each receptor, for generating the farfield pressure contribution for the acoustic energy received by each receptor, each said signal conditioning means including, (i) a means connected to said receptor and responsive to the detector signals, for generating a planar average pressure signal for the acoustic energy received by each plane of each receptor from the summed together detector signals generated by each detector in each plane, (ii) a means responsive to the planar average pressure signal from a receptor, for generating a receptor average pressure signal representative of the average value of the acoustic pressure between the planes of the receptor, (iii) a subtracting means, for generating the difference between the planar average pressure signals of each plane of the receptor, the output signal from said subtracting means comprising the average particle acceleration of the fluid generated by the source, (iv) an integrator for integrating the average particle acceleration signal to obtain the average particle velocity, and (v) a product averaging means, for obtaining the time average value of the product of the average particle velocity signal and the receptor average pressure signal to obtain the farfield pressure intensity contribution signal from the acoustic energy received by the receptor, and (2) an adder, for adding together the output signals from said multiplying means obtained at each position of said second receptor, the added together signals forming the farfield pressure intensity of the source in the chosen direction.

Claim 22

An apparatus for obtaining the farfield pressure intensity field in a given direction of a sonorous source placed in a fluid medium from pressure measurements taken in the nearfield of the source, the apparatus comprising: (a) an acoustic antenna positioned close to the source and responsive to the acoustic pressure generated in the fluid by the source, for generating electrical signals characteristic of the pressure produced by the source in its nearfield, said antenna having first and second receptors wherein each receptor includes, (1) two opposite parallel planes spaced apart by a predetermined distance whereby the separation distance allows for the generation of a signal representative of the particle acceleration of the fluid, and (2) an array of detectors mounted on each said parallel plane to form a matrix, each said detector producing a detector signal in response to an applied acoustic pressure, said first receptor fixed in a position that defines the direction of the farfield pressure intensity to be measured, and said second receptor varying in position; and (b) a processing unit connected to said antenna and responsive to the detector signals from said antenna, for generating the farfield pressure intensity in a given direction from the nearfield pressure measurements, said processing unit including, (1) a signal conditioning means associated with each receptor, for generating the farfield pressure contribution for the acoustic energy received by each receptor, each said signal conditioning means including, (i) a means connected to said receptor and responsive to the detector signals, for generating a planar average pressure signal for the acoustic energy received by each plane of each receptor from the summed together detector signals generated by each detector in each plane, (ii) a means responsive to the planar average pressure signal from a receptor, for generating a receptor average pressure signal representative of the average value of the acoustic pressure between the planes of the receptor, (iii) a subtracting means, for generating the difference between the planar average pressure signals of each plane of the receptor, the output signal from said subtracting means comprising the average particle acceleration of the fluid generated by the source, (iv) an integrator for integrating the average particle acceleration signal to obtain the average particle velocity, and (v) a product averaging means, for obtaining the time average value of the product of the average particle velocity signal and the receptor average pressure signal to obtain the farfield pressure intensity contribution signal from the acoustic energy received by the receptor, and (2) an adder, for adding together the output signals from said multiplying means obtained at each position of said second receptor, the added together signals forming the farfield pressure intensity of the source in the chosen direction.