This invention claims a patent on the process of propagating soundwaves through bodies of water, such as oceans, to produce and direct winds, for the purpose of managing aerial weather systems. Propagating soundwaves within water can generate and direct wind for many purposes. One purpose is to effectively weaken storms, by directing wind-shear against a storm's momentum, and stripping it of precipitation. Another purpose is to guide atmospheric rivers, and manually re-direct clouds in the precipitation cycle. This inventive process grants methods to mitigate dangerous weather patterns, such as droughts and hurricanes. The invention introduces a new subject matter that distinguishes it from other inventions relevant to underwater acoustics: manual processes to moderate weather.

An underwater acoustic receiver apparatus (100) comprises an acoustic reflector (102, 104, 106, 108) and an acoustic device (110, 114, 116, 118) aimed at the acoustic reflector (102, 104, 106, 108). The acoustic reflector (102, 104, 106, 108) is disposed at a predetermined distance and orientation relative to the acoustic device (110, 114, 116, 118).

An acoustophoretic device is disclosed. The acoustophoretic device includes an acoustic chamber, an ultrasonic transducer, and a reflector. The ultrasonic transducer includes a piezoelectric material driven by a voltage signal to create a multi-dimensional acoustic standing wave in the acoustic chamber emanating from a non-planar face of the piezoelectric material. A method for separating a second fluid or a particulate from a host fluid is also disclosed. The method includes flowing the mixture through an acoustophoretic device. A voltage signal is sent to drive the ultrasonic transducer to create the multi-dimensional acoustic standing wave in the acoustic chamber such that the second fluid or particulate is continuously trapped in the standing wave, and then agglomerates, aggregates, clumps, or coalesces together, and subsequently rises or settles out of the host fluid due to buoyancy or gravity forces, and exits the acoustic chamber.

Depth of a top (24) and bottom (28) of an under water mud layer (26) are measured as a function of position from acoustical scattering measurement. The measurement involves transmitting sound from a transmitter (12) in a body of water (22) above the mud layer (26), using a higher and lower frequency range, above 100 kHz and below 20 kHz respectively. A higher frequency signal due to scattering of the sound in the higher frequency range from scatter positions along a selected horizontal direction is detected as a function of time from said transmitting, and a first depth, of a top surface (24) of the under water mud layer (26), is computed using this signal. A plurality of received lower frequency signals due to scattering of the sound in the lower frequency range is detected at different height in the body of water (22). A time shift as a function of time between temporal parts of the plurality of received lower frequency signals is determined in the plurality of received lower frequency signals, and a second depth of a bottom surface (28) of the under water mud layer is computed based on the time shifts.

A photoacoustic apparatus may include: a ring transducer configured to measure a photoacoustic signal generated from an object, and including a hollow space that is provided as a travel path of light and ultrasonic waves; a mirror part disposed along a light path of the light transmitted from the ring transducer, and configured to reflect the light transmitted from the ring transducer, and the ultrasonic waves generated from the object, and to adjust magnification of the mirror part according to a number of apertures of the photoacoustic apparatus; and a fluid tank including a transparent film that allows the photoacoustic signal to pass through the fluid tank, and accommodating a fluid, the ring transducer, and the mirror part inside the fluid tank.

Sonar systems and related methods are provided. A sonar system includes a transducer array having a transverse axis and a longitudinal axis disposed perpendicularly thereto. A processor is operative to associate signals with a plurality of transducers in the transducer array so as to form a first acoustic beam, which propagates in a beam first direction and has a first beam width in a first transverse plane. The first transverse plane extends along the beam first direction and contains the transverse axis of the transducer array. A beam spreading device having a curved surface is positioned relative to the transducer array such that the first acoustic beam impinges on the curved surface. Following impingement on the curved surface, the first acoustic beam propagates in a beam second direction and has a second beam width in a second transverse plane. The second beam width is greater than the first beam width.

A transducer assembly comprises a housing and a plurality of frequency steered transducer array elements. Each of the transducer array elements includes a plurality of piezoelectric elements. The frequency steered transducer array elements are configured to receive a transmit electronic signal including a plurality of frequency components and to transmit an array of sonar beams into a body of water. Each sonar beam is transmitted in an angular direction that varies according to one of the frequency components of the transmit electronic signal. The frequency steered transducer array elements are positioned within the housing in a fan-shaped configuration where an end section of at least two of the frequency steered transducer array elements are within an intersection range of each other.

An acoustophoretic device is disclosed. The acoustophoretic device includes an acoustic chamber, an ultrasonic transducer, and a reflector. The ultrasonic transducer includes a piezoelectric material driven by a voltage signal to create a multi-dimensional acoustic standing wave in the acoustic chamber emanating from a non-planar face of the piezoelectric material. A method for separating a second fluid or a particulate from a host fluid is also disclosed. The method includes flowing the mixture through an acoustophoretic device. A voltage signal is sent to drive the ultrasonic transducer to create the multi-dimensional acoustic standing wave in the acoustic chamber such that the second fluid or particulate is continuously trapped in the standing wave, and then agglomerates, aggregates, clumps, or coalesces together, and subsequently rises or settles out of the host fluid due to buoyancy or gravity forces, and exits the acoustic chamber.

A photoacoustic apparatus may include: a ring transducer configured to measure a photoacoustic signal generated from an object, and including a hollow space that is provided as a travel path of light and ultrasonic waves; a mirror part disposed along a light path of the light transmitted from the ring transducer, and configured to reflect the light transmitted from the ring transducer, and the ultrasonic waves generated from the object, and to adjust magnification of the mirror part according to a number of apertures of the photoacoustic apparatus; and a fluid tank including a transparent film that allows the photoacoustic signal to pass through the fluid tank, and accommodating a fluid, the ring transducer, and the mirror part inside the fluid tank.

The objective of this invention is to provide an ultrasonic-wave transmitter/receiver with a fastening member that enables the case of such transmitter/receiver to be fastened reliably without impairing the usability of such transmitter/receiver during normal use. The ultrasonic-wave transmitter/receiver 10 comprises an ultrasonic transducer that transmits and receives ultrasonic waves; a case 50 that houses the ultrasonic transducer; and a cable 40 that suspends the case 50. The case 50 is of a hanging-bell shape comprising a lower-half part 51 having a bottom surface 52 and an outer-peripheral surface 53; and an upper-half part 61 having a structure of which the outer diameter gradually decreases toward the upper end. At least the lower-half part 51 of the case 50 is made of an elastic body. The groove 57 extending in the circumferential direction of the lower-half part 51 is formed on the outer-peripheral surface 53 of the lower-half part 51.