Tunable damper for an acoustic wave guide
A damper for tunably damping acoustic waves in an ultrasonic waveguide is provided which may be used in a hostile environment such as a nuclear reactor. The area of the waveguide, which may be a selected size metal rod in which acoustic waves are to be damped, is wrapped, or surrounded, by a mass of stainless steel wool. The wool wrapped portion is then sandwiched between tuning plates, which may also be stainless steel, by means of clamping screws which may be adjusted to change the clamping force of the sandwiched assembly along the waveguide section. The plates are preformed along their length in a sinusoidally bent pattern with a period approximately equal to the acoustic wavelength which is to be damped. The bent pattern of the opposing plates are in phase along their length relative to their sinusoidal patterns so that as the clamping screws are tightened a bending stress is applied to the waveguide at 180/sup 0/ intervals along the damping section to oppose the acoustic wave motions in the waveguide and provide good coupling of the wool to the guide. The damper is tuned by selectively tightening the clamping screws while monitoring the amplitude of the acoustic waves launched in the waveguide. It may be selectively tuned to damp particular acoustic wave modes (torsional or extensional, for example) and/or frequencies while allowing others to pass unattenuated.
- Assignee:
- Dept. of Energy
- Patent Number(s):
- US 4452334
- Application Number:
- TRN: 84-026122
- OSTI ID:
- 6409969
- Resource Relation:
- Patent File Date: Filed date 21 Oct 1982; Other Information: PAT-APPL-435797
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
SOUND WAVES
DAMPING
WAVEGUIDES
ACOUSTIC MONITORING
DESIGN
NUCLEAR POWER PLANTS
PLATES
REACTOR INSTRUMENTATION
STAINLESS STEELS
WAVE PROPAGATION
ALLOYS
CHROMIUM ALLOYS
CORROSION RESISTANT ALLOYS
IRON ALLOYS
IRON BASE ALLOYS
MONITORING
NUCLEAR FACILITIES
POWER PLANTS
STEELS
THERMAL POWER PLANTS
220400* - Nuclear Reactor Technology- Control Systems