Pressure vessels that operate at elevated temperatures and pressures (e.g., 600° F./316° C., 20000 psig), and ultrasonic transducers and signal connectors for use therein, are described. The pressure vessels include a housing defining a cavity. The housing includes a cylindrical body with plugs positioned within openings of the cylindrical body. Each plug has a recess extending from an external surface to a location ultrasonically adjacent the cavity. The pressure vessels additionally include transducer assemblies positioned within respective plug recesses. Each transducer assembly includes a signal connector positioned within the recess adjacent the external surface, a transducer having a piezoceramic element positioned within the recess at the location ultrasonically adjacent the cavity, and a metallic interconnection spring interconnecting the transducer to the signal connector.

An injection-molded article of polymer piezoelectric material includes: a helical chiral polymer constituted by a polymer chain and having a unit cell with an a-axis, a b-axis, and a c-axis as crystal axes, wherein b-axis<a-axis<c-axis in terms of lengths of the crystal axes, the c-axis is parallel to a long chain direction of the polymer chain, the helical chiral polymer is a crystal in which the b-axis is uniaxially oriented, and the injection-molded article has piezoelectricity.

The embodiments disclose an ultrasonic transducer that can require a piezoelectric element attached to the transducer to be constantly under high pressure, and this required pressure can be provided and maintained by the transducer's design at all temperatures during its operation. The exemplary ultrasonic transducer can eliminate a failure of the bond between the piezoelectric element and a delay block by using the mechanical structure to hold all components in place while permitting the piezoelectric transducer to generate pulses of the desired frequency, frequency bandwidth, and pulse width without undesired echoes and/or attenuations.

Apparatus for controlling bio-organisms in bodies of water. The algae control system includes a power unit and a transducer unit that radiates in multiple directions. The transducer unit includes a variable power driver and a transducer subassembly. The power from the driver varies to maintain a maximum, constant transducer sonic output over its bandwidth. The transducer assembly includes at least one transducer that includes a pair of blocks with at least one piezoelectric element therebetween. One embodiment has a single, disc-shaped element adhesively secured between said blocks. The transducer is excited by applying power to the pair of blocks. Another embodiment has at least one ring-shaped elements compressed between the two blocks by way of a fastener. The transducer is excited by applying power, in one embodiment, between the blocks and a conductor between a pair of ring-shaped elements, or in another embodiment, between the pair of blocks.

The subject matter of this specification can be embodied in, among other things, a sensor that includes a first axial sensor housing portion having a first cross-sectional area, a second axial sensor housing portion arranged adjacent to the first axial sensor housing portion along the sensor axis and having a second cross-sectional area larger than the first cross-sectional area, and a face extending from the interior surface of the first axial sensor housing portion to the interior surface of the second axial sensor housing portion, a first buffer rod within the first axial sensor housing portion and having a first axial end and a second axial end, a second buffer rod within the second axial sensor housing portion and abutting the face, and having a third axial end and a fourth axial end, and an acoustic transceiver element acoustically mated to the second axial end and the third axial end.

The subject matter of this specification can be embodied in, among other things, a sensor that includes a first axial sensor housing portion having a first cross-sectional area, a second axial sensor housing portion arranged adjacent to the first axial sensor housing portion along the sensor axis and having a second cross-sectional area larger than the first cross-sectional area, and a face extending from the interior surface of the first axial sensor housing portion to the interior surface of the second axial sensor housing portion, a first buffer rod within the first axial sensor housing portion and having a first axial end and a second axial end, a second buffer rod within the second axial sensor housing portion and abutting the face, and having a third axial end and a fourth axial end, and an acoustic transceiver element acoustically mated to the second axial end and the third axial end.

The present disclosure provides an aerosol delivery device that may comprise a housing defining an outer wall and further including a power source and a control component. The device also includes a mouthpiece portion that defines an exit aerosol path, a tank portion that includes a reservoir configured to contain a liquid composition, and an atomization assembly configured to vaporize the liquid composition to generate an aerosol. The atomization assembly includes a mesh plate and a vibrating component, wherein the mesh plate and the vibrating component are configured to be separable from each other at a detachable interface. The detachable interface may be located at various locations of the device, including between the mouthpiece portion and the tank portion, within the mouthpiece portion, within the tank portion, within a separable atomization assembly, within a cartridge, within a control unit, or between a cartridge and a control unit.

An ultrasonic transducer includes: a piezoelectric element having a plate-like shape and an area expansion vibration mode; and a vibration surface separated from main surfaces thereof and arranged in parallel to the main surfaces so as to be brought into contact with a liquid; a piezoelectric element receiving portion held in contact with a side surface of the piezoelectric element and configured to fix the piezoelectric element; and a vibration transmitting portion; and the vibration member having a space for surrounding the main surface formed by the vibration surface, the piezoelectric element receiving portion, and the vibration transmitting portion, wherein a vibration generated by the piezoelectric element is transmitted to the vibration surface through the piezoelectric element receiving portion and the vibration transmitting portion, and the vibration surface is vibrated in a direction orthogonal to a vibration direction in the area expansion vibration mode.

A vibration device includes a cover glass including an inclined surface defined by a chamfered outer peripheral edge of the cover glass, a vibration body bonded to the cover glass with an adhesive and causing the cover glass to vibrate, and a retainer bonded to the cover glass with an adhesive and fixed to the vibration body and that is in contact with the inclined surface of the cover glass so as to support an outer peripheral edge of the cover glass.

Aspects of this disclosure relate to driving a capacitive micromachined ultrasonic transducer (CMUT) with a pulse train of unipolar pulses. The CMUT may be electrically excited with a pulse train of unipolar pulses such that the CMUT operates in a continuous wave mode. In some embodiments, the CMUT may have a contoured electrode.