Abstract: A system for passive damping of mechanical vibrations generated by a vibrating structure supported by a support, including a transducer interposed between the vibrating structure and the support to transform mechanical energy of vibrations into electrical energy.

Abstract: Disclosed is an echosounder configured to: a) drive the transducers of its emitting antenna to emit first and second acoustic waves having first and second frequencies, these waves being superposed over one another along an axis of superposition that is directed toward a point of the bottom of the subaquatic environment, and b) acquire an echo signal, the frequency of which is equal to the difference between the first and the second frequencies, the echosounder being configured to perform steps a) and b) a plurality of times while varying the orientation of the axis of superposition, and to determine, on the basis of the acquired echo signals, an image representative of the content of the sub-bottom of the subaquatic environment beneath each of the points. Also disclosed is an associated method for characterizing a portion of the sub-bottom of a subaquatic environment.

Abstract: An electrical connector includes an electrically conductive contact element (122) and a support (70). The contact element (122) is supported by an intermediate element (120) made of an elastically deformable material and connected to the support (70). An electrical connection assembly including a connector of the type is also described.

Abstract: A method for connecting a movable connector part to a stationary connector part, the movable part being initially placed on a support and the stationary part being covered by a cap. The method includes gripping the cap by element of a lifting tool (10); depositing the cap (6) on the movable part by element of the lifting tool; and transporting the assembly of the cap and movable part onto the stationary part, by element of the lifting tool, in order to connect the stationary part and the movable part (4) to each other.

Abstract: An optical connector (20) includes a plurality of collimation elements (23a, 23b) which are associated with a plurality of optical fibres (21a, 21b), respectively, and which are carried by a support (24). The support is mounted for rotation in a bearing (27) about a rotation axis (z), the collimation elements (23a) are arranged in the support so as to be equidistant from this rotation axis, and the support has at least one member for angular positioning (28) about the axis. The invention also relates to an optical connection assembly (10) including a first such optical connector and a second optical connector (20?) which is configured to be nested coaxially with the first one. An electrical connector may be provided with such an optical connector, and a connection system may be provided with such an electrical connector.

Abstract: A system for passive damping of mechanical vibrations generated by a vibrating structure supported by a support, including a transducer interposed between the vibrating structure and the support to transform mechanical energy of vibrations into electrical energy.

Abstract: An electrical connector includes an electrically conductive contact element (122) and a support (70). The contact element (122) is supported by an intermediate element (120) made of an elastically deformable material and connected to the support (70). An electrical connection assembly including a connector of the type is also described.

Abstract: Disclosed is a broadband underwater acoustic transceiver device. The device can be used in particular for positioning, detection, range finding or underwater acoustic communication. The device coaxially combines, within a transceiver device, a Tonpilz transducer and a FFR transducer, the FFR being arranged in front of the transmission face/horn of the Tonpilz transducer. In such a configuration, the Tonpilz horn also acts as reflective tape for the FFR transducer, forming a common tape-horn element. Furthermore, an annular baffle surrounding the Tonpilz pillar creates a Helmholtz cavity for broadening the emission band towards the low frequencies.

Abstract: An electrical power production system including a plurality of generator assemblies having: at least one piezoelectric generator for generating electrical power in response to a mechanical force applied onto said first generator, an actuator for applying a mechanical force onto the generator when said actuator is biased, a rotatable cam having a cam surface, a follower means for following the cam surface, a lever connected to the follower means, said lever being mounted as a lever arm and engaging with the actuator so as to bias said actuator when the cam is rotated and the cam surface exerts a mechanical force on the follower means, a rotatable wheel rotated by a power source and coupled to the cams so that setting said rotatable wheel in rotation at a rotation speed causes the rotation of said cams at another rotation speed, which is greater than that of said rotatable wheel.

Abstract: A method for connecting a movable connector part to a stationary connector part, the movable part being initially placed on a support and the stationary part being covered by a cap. The method includes gripping the cap by element of a lifting tool (10); depositing the cap (6) on the movable part by element of the lifting tool; and transporting the assembly of the cap and movable part onto the stationary part, by element of the lifting tool, in order to connect the stationary part and the movable part (4) to each other.

Abstract: An optical connector (20) includes a plurality of collimation elements (23a, 23b) which are associated with a plurality of optical fibres (21a, 21b), respectively, and which are carried by a support (24). The support is mounted for rotation in a bearing (27) about a rotation axis (z), the collimation elements (23a) are arranged in the support so as to be equidistant from this rotation axis, and the support has at least one member for angular positioning (28) about the axis. The invention also relates to an optical connection assembly (10) including a first such optical connector and a second optical connector (20?) which is configured to be nested coaxially with the first one. An electrical connector may be provided with such an optical connector, and a connection system may be provided with such an electrical connector.

Abstract: Disclosed is a marine surface drone including: - an on-board multi-beam sonar; - a system for controlling the sonar, configured to command, for a given position of the drone, a plurality of consecutive transmissions of acoustic waves, the control system controlling the sonar transmitters so as to vary the characteristics of the transmitted acoustic waves, from one of the transmissions to the next, and - an acquisition unit configured to determine, from echo signals acquired in response to the plurality of transmissions, a three-dimensional image representing the content of a given observation volume. The invention also relates to a method for characterising an underwear environment, implemented by such a drone.

Abstract: Disclosed is a broadband underwater acoustic transceiver device. The device can be used in particular for positioning, detection, range finding or underwater acoustic communication. The device coaxially combines, within a transceiver device, a Tonpilz transducer and a FFR transducer, the FFR being arranged in front of the transmission face/horn of the Tonpilz transducer. In such a configuration, the Tonpilz horn also acts as reflective tape for the FFR transducer, forming a common tape-horn element. Furthermore, an annular baffle surrounding the Tonpilz pillar creates a Helmholtz cavity for broadening the emission band towards the low frequencies.

Abstract: An electrical power production system including a plurality of generator assemblies having: at least one piezoelectric generator for generating electrical power in response to a mechanical force applied onto said first generator, an actuator for applying a mechanical force onto the generator when said actuator is biased, a rotatable cam having a cam surface, a follower means for following the cam surface, a lever connected to the follower means, said lever being mounted as a lever arm and engaging with the actuator so as to bias said actuator when the cam is rotated and the cam surface exerts a mechanical force on the follower means, a rotatable wheel rotated by a power source and coupled to the cams so that setting said rotatable wheel in rotation at a rotation speed causes the rotation of said cams at another rotation speed, which is greater than that of said rotatable wheel.

Abstract: The disclosure includes a method of acquiring high-resolution ultrasound images using an array of transducers using successive transmission matrices.

Abstract: An electroacoustic transducer submersible in an immersion fluid (8) for underwater acoustic communications, includes two horns (3a, 3b), a counterweight (4), two electroacoustic motors (1a, 1b), aligned along an axis of symmetry (6), the opposite ends of the motors being respectively connected to a horn, the unit consisted by the electroacoustic motors, the counterweight and the horns being able to generate a longitudinal electroacoustic resonance mode. The transducer includes a rigid and hollow cylindrical part (5) extending around the counterweight, the cylindrical part having an axis merged with the symmetry axis of the transducer, the inside of the cylindrical part forming a fluid cavity able to be filled with the immersion fluid, the electroacoustic motors and the cylindrical part being so dimensioned that the fluid cavity forms an acoustic coupling between the longitudinal electroacoustic resonance mode and a circumferential resonance mode of the cylindrical part.

Abstract: An acoustic antenna includes an array of elementary submarine transducers, each elementary transducer including, between a counterweight and a horn, at least one ceramic. Each elementary transducer is mounted on a printed circuit so that the printed circuit is clamped between the ceramic and counterweight thereof. The printed circuit includes conductors for connection to electrodes of the respective ceramic for individual control of the elementary transducers. The weight of each element of the elementary transducer is set to minimize cross-talk between channels.

Abstract: An acoustic wave transducer includes at least one electroacoustic motor, a horn having an inner wall and an outer wall, a counterweight, and a hollow housing having an inner wall and an outer wall and at least one acoustic opening. The electroacoustic motor is connected to the horn and to the counterweight along an axis, and the electroacoustic motor is capable of exciting the horn at about at least one resonance frequency. The housing is connected to the counterweight and surrounds the motor and the horn, the outer wall of the horn being arranged opposite an acoustic opening of the housing, and the space between the inner wall of the housing and the inner wall of the horn defines a cavity that contains a fluid. The transducer includes acoustic attenuation elements connected to the outer wall of the housing in order to attenuate the emission and/or reception acoustic waves at the frequency at least in a direction transverse to the emission/reception axis.

Abstract: A fiber Bragg grating hydrophone includes a fluid chamber (1) and an optical fiber (2) in which a Bragg grating (3) is integrated, the optical fiber extending through the fluid chamber such that the Bragg grating is positioned inside the latter. The fluid chamber is filled with a compressible fluid and is defined by a rigid casing (4) including two end surfaces (28a, 28b) that are rigidly connected to the optical fiber. At least one of the two end surfaces of the rigid casing includes an opening (5a, 5b) closed by a deformable diaphragm (6a, 6b) that is rigidly connected to the optical fiber and that can be deformed in reaction to a difference in the pressures applied to the surfaces thereof, thereby modifying the length of the optical fiber as measured by a variation in the wavelength of a luminous flux extracted from the optical fiber.

Abstract: A Bragg grating fiber hydrophone, includes a fluid chamber and an optical fiber in which a Bragg grating is integrated, the optical fiber passing through the fluid chamber along a longitudinal axis such that the Bragg grating is positioned inside the latter. The fluid chamber is filled with a compressible fluid and is defined by a casing including two ends connected to the optical fiber. The casing includes at least one portion formed by an extensible and compressible tube extending along the longitudinal axis. The portion formed by an extensible and compressible tube includes an outer end coinciding with one of the two casing ends and can be longitudinally deformed by a difference in the pressures applied on the walls thereof, which results in a variation of the length of the optical fiber as measured by a variation in the wavelength of a luminous flux extracted from the optical fiber.