The present invention relates to a pressure regulator and in particular to a closed active pressure regulator gas coupled to an acoustic device which is disposed underwater. The pressure regulator comprising an internal pressure sensor, a valve, and a gas supply each coupled to a processor, at least said valve, gas supply and processor disposed within a fluid tight housing, said pressure regulator including an external pressure sensor coupled to the processor though the housing, whereby said pressure regulator is gas coupled to an acoustic device disposed underwater, said acoustic device contained within a pressure sealed and fluid tight container, said pressure regulator is a closed active system for removing gas from the container to the gas supply or supplying the gas from the gas supply to the container thereby regulating the pressure in the container.
The present invention relates to a pressure regulator and in particular to a closed active pressure regulator gas coupled to an acoustic device which is disposed underwater.An acoustic device, such as a speaker, can be deployed underwater for many uses such as guiding fish, providing entertainment etc. However, as the depth of the acoustic device or underwater speaker increases, the external pressure increases proportionally. This pressure increase affects the acoustic response of the underwater speaker due to the external and internal differential pressure. As such the effectiveness of the speaker is reduced.Accordingly, the pressure regulator comprising an internal pressure sensor, a valve, and a gas supply each coupled to a processor, at least said valve, gas supply and processor disposed within a fluid tight housing, said pressure regulator including an external pressure sensor coupled to the processor though the housing, whereby said pressure regulator is gas coupled to an acoustic device disposed underwater, said acoustic device contained within a pressure sealed and fluid tight container, said pressure regulator is a closed active system for removing gas from the container to the gas supply or supplying the gas from the gas supply to the container thereby regulating the pressure in the container.
An acoustic device for forming a wall of sound underwater. Walls of sound are useful in water for guiding fish away from areas. Hitherto, systems have used bubbles of water to facilitate the speed of travel of the sound. Those systems have suffered from the ability to maintain a consistent wall of bubbles and have often been inefficient. The present invention seeks to provide an acoustic device for forming a wall of sound underwater and comprises a transducer connected to an acoustic waveguide. The waveguide comprises one or more projections, whereby sound generated by the transducer travels along the projection or projections to form the wall of sound. The waveguide may typically comprise compressible projections formed from neoprene. These projections are arranged in a fan or frond shape. In addition or alternatively, the projections may be laminar. The projections could be of different lengths.
G10K 11/26 - Sound-focusing or directing, e.g. scanning
G10K 11/22 - Methods or devices for transmitting, conducting or directing sound for conducting sound through hollow pipes, e.g. speaking tubes
H04R 1/44 - Special adaptations for subaqueous use, e.g. for hydrophone
H04R 1/34 - Arrangements for obtaining desired frequency or directional characteristics for obtaining desired directional characteristic only by using a single transducer with sound reflecting, diffracting, directing or guiding means
H04R 1/40 - Arrangements for obtaining desired frequency or directional characteristics for obtaining desired directional characteristic only by combining a number of identical transducers
H04R 1/28 - Transducer mountings or enclosures designed for specific frequency responseTransducer enclosures modified by provision of mechanical or acoustic impedances, e.g. resonator, damping means
A01M 29/16 - Scaring or repelling devices, e.g. bird-scaring apparatus using sound waves
G10K 11/32 - Sound-focusing or directing, e.g. scanning characterised by shape of the source
Walls of sound are useful in water for guiding fish away from areas. Hitherto, systems have used bubbles of water to facilitate the speed of travel of sound, but suffer from the ability to maintain a consistent wall of bubbles and are inefficient.An acoustic device is provided for forming a wall of sound underwater and comprises a transducer connected to an acoustic waveguide. The waveguide comprises one or more projections, whereby sound generated by the transducer travels along the projection(s) to form the wall of sound.The waveguide may comprise compressible projections formed from neoprene. These projections are arranged in a fan or frond shape. In addition or alternatively, the projections may be laminar. The projections could be of different lengths. The location, arrangement and lengths of the projections are all suited to the underwater location to maximise the effectiveness of the wall of sound.
In order to deter underwater animals from an underwater region such as adjacent the entrance (12) to an offtake pipe or channel from a river, sound and light are produced by sound and light producing units (14) in the underwater region and are intermittently pulsed and/or at least one characteristic of the sound and light is repetitively modulated. At least some of the pulses of light and/or the occurrences of at least one feature in at least some of the light modulation repetitions are substantially synchronised with at least some of the pulses of sound and/or the occurrences of at least one feature in at least some of the sound modulation repetitions. For example, the sound may be frequency modulated, and the light may be pulsed when the sound frequency reaches its minimum. It is believed that this synchronisation of light and sound has a synergistic effect.
09 - Scientific and electric apparatus and instruments
11 - Environmental control apparatus
44 - Medical, veterinary, hygienic and cosmetic services; agriculture, horticulture and forestry services
Goods & Services
Acoustic and electrical apparatus and installations for driving away, attracting or guiding animals; apparatus for producing electrical signals for driving sound sources and light sources; and parts and fittings for the aforesaid goods. Lighting apparatus and installations for driving away, attracting or guiding animals; and parts and fittings for the aforesaid goods. Driving away, attracting or guiding animals; rental of apparatus and installations for driving away, attracting or guiding animals.
