Samuel Stephen Rogers

US Patent:

44523343, Jun 5, 1984

Filed:

Oct 21, 1982

Appl. No.:

6/435797

Inventors:

Samuel C. Rogers - Knoxville TN

Assignee:

The United States of America as represented by the United States
Department of Energy - Washington DC

International Classification:

G10K 1100

US Classification:

181175

Abstract:

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. degree. intervals along the damping section to oppose the acoustic wave motions in the waveguide and provide good coupling of the wool to the guide.