Reality check for all the "engineers" in this thread (myself included). ;-)
1/50th gal is 2 * 0.0378 L, and 3 PSI is about 1/5th of 100kPa, or: W = 0.02 x 10^6 N/m^2 * 37.8 x 10^-6 m^3 = 0.756 J peak energy. At 40Hz CW, the peak power would be 2
*pi*F*W or ~250W. That much isn't required, but still, a speaker in the 50W range probably wouldn't be unreasonable.
Speaker efficiency is normally quoted against propagating atmospheric conditions, so is usually quite terrible. I don't know what the efficiency of a linear motor into a well-coupled acoustic load would be; should be possible to get over 10% at least, and I'd think 90% wouldn't be unreasonable (a motor is a motor?). So that's 60 to 500W.
A little 2" subwoofer would have to handle 10 pounds of backforce at that pressure, while pushing a peak displacement of 1.9 cm (about 3/4"). Imagine a piston cylinder 2" dia. by 1.5" tall, and pump that up and down with 10 pound springs attached. That's a lot of displacement even for the bigger subwoofers, and I don't know that any would support that much pressure (insane professional types aside). So it isn't surprising that it isn't good enough. Also unlikely that other small pumps would deliver enough power (e.g., breast pump, amusing idea though).
To get the force up, a bunch of tiny subwoofers might be paralleled. As another suggested, a bellows would get a user-defined diaphragm smaller than the cone area(s), providing some mechanical advantage. Length and width of the bellows determines pressure/displacement matching, so any combination of voice coils could be used, including a single big one from a 500W+ speaker, say.
If you can find one of those super-low inertia capstan motors from the Old Days of Tape, you might get that kind of bandwidth there as well. Even a regular servo motor might not be too bad. Still need a lever and diaphragm or bellows to couple, of course.
Tim
--
Deep Friar: a very philosophical monk.
Website: http://seventransistorlabs.com
"Joerg" wrote in message
news:b9ug38F583bU1@mid.individual.net...
> Folks,
>
> I need to generate pressure pulses of 3-4psi above ambient, frequency
> around 1Hz, more or less arbitrary waveform with frequency components up
> to 40Hz in there (but those are less than 2psi) and delivered via short
> hose. Currently just air pressure.
>
> I got this (sort of) running with a compressor but after a while my ears
> fall off from all that noise. Can't really place the compressor outside
> here. So then I tried various speakers. They don't move enough air
> around. When I pushed one of them a bit harder a few minutes ago its
> flexible surround rubber burst, that thin stuff doesn't hold much
> pressure.
>
>
> In other words I need something similar to an arbitrary function
> generator but where the output is air pressure. What I want to avoid is
> hacking a motor, removing a valve and using the piston.
>
> Any other ideas? Can one buy something like that at less than 4-digit
> prices?
>
> --
> Regards, Joerg
>
> http://www.analogconsultants.com/