Abstract: This invention is a device that permits a flextensional transducer to function after the flextensional transducer experiences a pressure equal to or greater than the pressure found at the survival depth of prior art flextensional transducers. The foregoing is achieved by not bonding at least one end of the transducer's piezoelectric stack to the transducer's shell and having the other end or ends of the piezoelectric stack held in the vicinity of the transducer's shell by a pair of guide rails, etc. This permits the transducer's shell to move away from at least one end of the piezoelectric stack at pressures equal to or greater than the pressure at which the stack would experience tensile stresses in a conventional flextensional design. Thus, the piezoelectric stack will not fracture since it receives no tensile stress.

Abstract: An electro-mechanical transducer is disclosed in which a piston-like radiating element is driven by fluid pumped from the interior of a flextensional transducer such that the motion of the flextensional transducer shell is transmitted to the radiating element.

Abstract: A magnetic drive is provided for a flextensional transducer in order to adapt the flextensional transducer for operation at increased ocean depths without the necessity of liquid filling and complex decoupling devices. In one embodiment an electro-magnetic actuator is positioned between the walls of the flextensional shell and is driven electrically so as to deflect the shell walls outwardly. The magnetic actuator in one embodiment includes a permanent magnet and pole pieces supported on one of the interior walls of the shell, with a moving coil positioned between the pole pieces and supported on a diametrically opposite wall of the shell. In an alternative embodiment, the magnetic actuation may be in the form of a rod of magnetostrictive material between opposing interior walls of the shell, which is actuated by an overwound electrical coil, with the shell being of magnetic material such as magnetic iron.

Abstract: An ambient sea noise elimination system is disclosed in which the outputs of a directional hydrophone and an omnidirectional hydrophone are filtered and summed such that the effective receiving pattern below approximately 300 Hz is a vertically oriented dipole pattern having a null in the horizontal direction and such that the effective receiving pattern above 300 Hz is a cardioid having its null either pointing upwardly or pointing downwardly in a vertical direction. The option of simple omnicoverage at the high frequencies can also be easily implemented. This system thus takes advantage of the discovery that ambient sea noise under 300 Hz primarily travels in a horizontal direction whereas ambient sea noise above 300 Hz generally travels in a vertical direction.

Abstract: Discrimination of long range targets from short range targets is provided by generating a vertical dipole beam and a narrow uni-directional horizontal beam which may be steered. Targets in the dipole beam are short range targets whose acoustic signals arrive at angles to the horizontal plane, whereas long range targets are those in the horizontal beam, since acoustic signals from long range targets come in on the horizontal plane.