US3772541A - Fluidic generator - Google Patents

Abstract

Air is caused to enter a nozzle in which a cylindrical plug is centrally located to form an annular orifice. The air discharging from the annular orifice impinges directly on the edge of a resonating cavity producing a multiple frequency edgetone. The column of air in the resonating cavity is thereby caused to vibrate at a frequency determined by the depth of the cavity. The changes in pressure within the resonating cavity cause a diaphragm forming an end of the cavity to pulsate inwardly and outwardly. A rod is attached to the diaphragm, and this rod transmits the vibrations of the diaphragm to a metallic reed which will then oscillate between a pair of magnetic pole pieces. The oscillations of the reed will induce an electro-motive force into a coil. The electromotive force induced in the coil may be made available to provide energy to operate an external electrical circuit.

Description

United States Patent [191 Campagnuolo et al.

[451 Nov. 13, 1973 l FLUIDIC GENERATOR [73] Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the 7 Army, Washington, D.C.

[22] Filed: July 17, 1968 [21] Appl. N0.: 745,949

Primary ExaminerBenjamin A. Borchelt Assistant Examinerl-l. J. Tudor AttorneyI-larry M. Saragovitz, Edward J. Kelly, Herbert Berl, J. D. Edgerton and G. L. Lett [57] ABSTRACT Air is caused to enter a nozzle in which a cylindrical plug is centrally located to form an annular orifice. The air discharging from the annular orifice impinges directly on the edge of a resonating cavity producing a multiple frequency edgetone. The column of air in the resonating cavity is thereby caused to vibrate at a frequency determined by the depth of the cavity. The changes in pressure within the resonating cavity cause a diaphragm forming an end of the cavity to pulsate inwardly and outwardly. A rod is attached to the diaphragm, and this rod transmits the vibrations of the diaphragm to a metallic reed which will then oscillate between a pair of magnetic pole pieces. The oscillations of the reed will induce .an electro-motive force into a coil. The electromotive force induced in the coil may be made available to provide energy to operate an external electrical circuit.

3 Claims, 1 Drawing: Figure Pmminuuvm 1915 $772,541

INVENTORS CARL J. CAMPAGNUOLO BILLY M. HORTON BY m 772 ,W 4%,

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ATTORNEYS FLUIDIC GENERATOR RIGHTS OF THE GOVERNMENT The invention described herein may be manufactured, used, and licensed by or for the United States Government for governmental purposes without the payment to us of any royalty thereon.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION In certain small flying projectiles such as artillery, mortar shells, rockets and the like small sources of electric power are necessary to actuate an electric detonator. Prior art power supplies used to fulfill this function have generally been small air driven generators. An example of this type of generator is the rotatable armature generator which is driven by a propeller or a series of turbine blades. A major difficulty in using this device is its lack of reliability.

A solution to the aforementioned problem has been offered in the form of a fluid-flow generator which is operated by means of a fluid oscillator. In such a generator a fluid oscillator drives a movable diaphragm which drives a vibrating reed in a magnetic field thereby producing an electromotive force. As is well known, fluid oscillators have been found to be inherently more reliable and rugged compared to the more complicated mechanical or electrical devices now in use. In addition the sources of fluid power to drive such fluid devices are readily available everywhere. One previous device of this type is described in a U. S. application filed by Evan D. Fisher et al., Ser. No. 566,081, filed July 18, 1966 in which a separate fluid oscillator having its own resonating cavity drives another resonating cavity which is coupled thereto generating an electromotive force in the above described manner. A later device of this nature is described in U. S. application by Carl J. Campagnuolo, Ser. No. 605,108 filed Dec. 27, 1966, now US. Pat. No. 3,667,870 in which the diaphragm is an integral part of the fluid oscillator itself and in which the fluid power source is caused to pass over and not into the orifice of the resonating cavity which forms the oscillator. In each of these devices it has been found that insufficient amounts of power are produced to operate the detonating means in the desired manner.

It is therefore an object of this invention to provide an improved means for converting pressure energy into electrical energy in which the difiiculties surrounding presently used mechanical or electromechanical devices are not encountered.

Another object of this invention is to provide an improved fluid flow generating means which will generate more power than previously disclosed fluid flow generators.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The aforementioned and other objects may be obtained by using a fluid oscillator in which the diaphragm is an integral part of the oscillator resonating cavity and by directing the fluid which is the source of power of the oscillator head-on or directly toward the cylindrical opening of the resonating cavity through an annular orifice which is substantially aligned with the edges of the opening into the resonating cavity. The gas discharging from the annular orifice impinges on the edge of the opening of the resonating cavity producing a multiple frequency edgetone thereby causing the column of gas in a resonator cavity to vibrate in a frequency which is determined by the length of the cavity. The changes in pressure within the resonant chamber cause the diaphragm to pulsate inwardly and outwardly thus causing a reed attached to the diaphragm to oscillate within a magnetic field generating a voltage in a coil surrounding the reed.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING The specific nature of the invention as well as other objects, aspects, uses, and advantages thereof will clearly appear from the following description and from the accompanying drawing, in which:

The drawing is a side, partially cross-section view of a preferred embodiment of the fluidic generator of our invention.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT In the drawing illustrating the preferred embodiment of our invention, air which is the fluid power for the generator enters a port 10 formed by a cylinder 11. At the end of cylinder 11 opposite port 10 a cylindrical plug 12 is centrally located therein forming an annular orifice 14. The annular column of air from orifice 14 is directed to the opening 21 in a resonating cavity 20 by means of a conduit 16 which has openings 18 therein for exhaust purposes. A diaphragm 23 forms the other end of cavity 20 and will. be caused to vibrate by the operation of the oscillator. The vibrations of diaphragm 23 are transmitted to an. armature 25 in the form of a vibrating reed by means of a rod 24 attached to the diaphragm at one end and to the armature 25 at its other end. The free end of metallic reed armature 25 is centrally located in a magnetic coil 26 between two permanent magnet pole pieces of opposite polarity 30 and 32. A pair of wires 34 are attached to coil 26 to couple the voltage generated by the fluidic generator to an external electrical circuit.

In operation air, which is the source of power, enters the fluidic generator at port 10. In the case of a flying projectile this will be the ram air entering the nose of the projectile. The column of air entering port 10 is converted into an annular column by annular orifice l4. Annular orifice 14 is of a slightly smaller diameter than opening 21, but the columns of air emanating from orifice 14 will tend to spread and impringe upon the edge of opening 21. The impinging of the air on this edge, in the well known manner, will produce a multiple frequency edgetone or ringtone. The oscillation of the annular column of air back and forth across the end of opening 21 will cause the column of air in the resonating cavity to vibrate with the frequency of that vibration being determined by the depth of cavity 20. The vibration in cavity 20 will cause increases and decreases in pressure in the cavity which in turn will cause diaphragm 23 to pulsate inwardly and outwardly. The excess air in the fluid oscillator is exhausted to the atmosphere through vents 18 in column 16.

The pulsations of diaphragm 23 are transmitted by means of rod 24 to armature 25 which is then caused to oscillate between magnetic pole pieces 30 and 32. The oscillations of armature 25 will induce an electromotive force in coil 26; this emf can then be coupled to an external circuit through wires 34. Other generating means and magnetic field arrangements can be used as is demonstrated by the various types shown in U. S. Pat. application Ser. No. 566,081 referenced above.

It will be appreciated that the above description of the preferred embodiment is illustrative only and not limiting and many modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention which is defined in the appended claims.

We claim as our invention:

1. Apparatus for utilizing fluid flow to generate electrical energy comprising:

a. an enclosed volume having an open end and a closed end and defining a resonant cavity,

b. an annular orifice directing an annular column of fluid directly 'into and so as to impinge upon an edge of said open end of said enclosed volume so as to produce a multiple frequency edgetone thereby causing the fluid in said enclosed volume to vibrate at a predetermined frequency,

0. mechanical means for sensing the vibrations of said enclosed volume,

d. generating means for translating the vibrations sensed by said mechanical means into electrical energy, and

e. means for exhausting a portion of said fluid, and

wherein f. said enclosed volume is horn shaped and said open end is formed by a cylinder.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 in which said mechanical means is a diaphragm forming the closed end of said enclosed volume.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 in which said generating means comprises a means producing a magnetic field and a metallic reed which will vibrate in said magnetic field in response to vibrations of said diaphragm and a coil adapted to have an electromotive force induced therein by the vibrations of said reed in said magnetic field.

Claims (3)

1. Apparatus for utilizing fluid flow to generate electrical energy comprising: a. an enclosed volume having an open end and a closed end and defining a resonant cavity, b. an annular orifice directing an annular column of fluid directly into and so as to impinge upon an edge of said open end of said enclosed volume so as to produce a multiple frequency edgetone thereby causing the fluid in said enclosed volume to vibrate at a predetermined frequency, c. mechanical means for sensing the vibrations of said enclosed volume, d. generating means for translating the vibrations sensed by said mechanical means into electrical energy, and e. means for exhausting a portion of said fluid, and wherein f. said enclosed volume is horn shaped and said open end is formed by a cylinder.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 in which said mechanical means is a diaphragm forming the closed end of said enclosed volume.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 in which said generating means comprises a means producing a magnetic field and a metallic reed which will vibrate in said magnetic field in response to vibrations of said diaphragm and a coil adapted to have an electromotive force induced therein by the vibrations of said reed in said magnetic field.

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