Abstract
This study proposes a spherical rotor gyroscope based on the near-field acoustic levitation (NFAL) principle, which utilizes high-frequency vibration to levitate objects at a short distance near the driving surface. The ultrasonic suspended gyroscope consists of a piezoelectrically excited stator and a spherical rotor. The stator was excited to generate ultrasonic vibration under the action of the inverse piezoelectric effect, provide non-contact support for the spherical rotor, and drive it to rotate with the traveling wave vibration. When the spherical rotor obtained sufficient angular momentum, the driving voltages were changed to induce the standing wave vibration and thus provide a stable levitation force field for the rotor. At this stage, the rotor was only subjected to the effects of gravity and levitation force and the spherical rotor rotated at a high speed to obtain gyroscopic inertia. Herein, the finite element model of the stator was established for dynamic analysis, and an acoustic–structure coupling model was established to analyze the non-contact supporting force of the gyroscope. The prototype was manufactured, and the stator was tested for vibration, and test platforms for levitation height, rotation speed, and gyroscopic inertia of the non-contact ultrasonic levitated spherical rotor gyroscope were built. The stator vibration performance was consistent with the simulation analysis result. The levitation height could be as high as tens of microns at the operating frequency. The rotation speed could reach 5600 r/min, and the gyroscopic inertia was verified. Therefore, the feasibility of NFAL for a levitated gyroscope was verified.
Highlights
Gyroscopes, as inertial devices, offer a number of advantages, such as autonomous navigation in any environment and easy multiaxis and multi-function measurements
Studies have shown that near-field acoustic levitation (NFAL) could provide stable levitation forces for flat or even spherical objects and that spherical rotors could be driven to rotate in the ultrasonic field induced by piezoelectrically excited stators
An ultrasonic suspended spherical rotor gyroscope was designed based on the principle of ultrasonic near-field levitation
Summary
Gyroscopes, as inertial devices, offer a number of advantages, such as autonomous navigation in any environment and easy multiaxis and multi-function measurements They do not collect information from outside and are free from any interferences.. Dynamic pressure air float gyroscopes are simple and inexpensive They are relevant in applications where cost is a more important consideration than accuracy. A noncontact spherical rotor piezoelectric actuator based on near-field acoustic levitation was designed; the rotation speed was relatively low, and the bowl-shaped stator made the size relatively large. Studies have shown that NFAL could provide stable levitation forces for flat or even spherical objects and that spherical rotors could be driven to rotate in the ultrasonic field induced by piezoelectrically excited stators. Prototypes were constructed, the dynamic characteristics of the stator were measured, the levitation and propulsion characteristics were experimentally investigated, and the gyroscopic inertia was verified experimentally
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