Low cost acoustic transmitter

This STTR Phase II Proposal addresses the need for a low cost acoustic transmitter that combines a power amplifier, control-circuitry and an innovative transducer assembly, all at a low cost. Our approach is to use a cylindrical modal vector projector transducer which becomes part of the housing and, moreover, uses only a minimum of power to provide a sizable source level. The modal vector projector has the versatility of generating omni-directional or dipole patterns as well as directional patterns similar to that of a Tonpilz piston type transducer. The modal transducer concept was originally conceived to reduce the power needs of acoustic modem transducers. In our Phase I final report we present various designs including very low cost as well as modest cost designs with exceptional higher performance comparable with high power tonpilz piston designs. We also introduced a more advanced ring design, the Leveraged Circumferential Acoustic Transducer (LCAT). It is this vector projector design which we propose to use as the basic transducer element of a rear planar keel type array that could be used in the DDG 51 upgrade. Although we will concentrate on this application, we will also consider other possible applications of this vector projector.