Characteristics of a high power ultrasonic array transmitter in air
A high-power ultrasonic array transmitter with 144 transmitting elements for 3D measurements in air has been developed. The sound pressure level of 126 dB was obtained at a distance of 5 m in the air with an ultrasonic frequency of 40 kHz. This value is approximately 32 dB higher than that obtained using a single transmitting element. The characteristics of the array transmitter were studied and compared with simulation results. The experimental results were in good agreement with the simulation results.
Theoretical investigation of high-power ultrasonic array transmitter for a range sensor in air
A high-power ultrasonic transmitter that employs an array of transmitting elements is investigated theoretically. It is used in a range sensor system using pulse-modulated ultrasonic waves. The sound pressure and directivity are investigated theoretically. Increasing the number of elements, increases the sound pressure, enabling a higher power to be obtained. However, it increases the directivity. The influence of pulse modulation is also investigated; short pulse modulation was found to alter the pulse shape.
Thermal properties of the Florida Current as related to Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion (OTEC)
The thermal properties of the Florida Current are presented and analyzed for the available ocean thermal energy. For a cold water intake depth equal to or greater than 600 m, potential sites for Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion (OTEC) power plants appear to exist in the Straits of Florida and, to a lesser extent, off the coasts of Georgia and South Carolina. The maximum thermal differences occur on the continental shelf because of the geostrophic motion of the Gulf Stream. An estimate of the total available ocean thermal energy from the Florida Current, delivered in the form of electricity, is 3.5 × 1012 kWh yr−1. For a cold water suction depth of 600 m or more, seasonal variability in the ocean thermal resource is approx. ±35 per cent of average annual output.