The Generalized Foucault Pendulum is a 3D Integrating Gyroscopes Using the Three-Dimensional Precession of Standing Waves in a Rotating Spherically Symmetric Elastic Solid

Abstract

Today orientation, stabilization, navigation and management systems designed for various industrial purposes and for special technologies are based on a wide variety of gyroscopes including classic mechanical gyroscopes (MG), dynamically tuned gyroscopes (DTG), different floating type gyroscopes (FTG), electrostatic gyroscopes (ESG), laser ring gyroscopes (LRG), fiber optic gyroscopes (FOG) and micro mechanical gyroscopes (MMG). Late last century (1982) a team of DELCO specialists (USA) working under the guidance of David Lynch developed and presented to the international community an industrial prototype of a brand new type of gyroscope - hemispherical resonator gyro (HRG). In contrast to all the above mentioned gyroscopes a HRG is based on a brand new physical phenomenon (Brayan effect) – preservation of inertial properties in standing waves generated at the edge of a hemispherical resonator. Depending on the method employed to control the standing wave the instrument may be operated in two modes: as an angle sensor (integrating gyro) or as an angular velocity sensor (AVS). A modern HRG consists of a vacuum enclosing which houses a sensor element and an electronic module. A sensor element is an integral hemispheric resonator manufactured from quartz glass rigidly fixed on a vacuum tight foundation. Analyzing oscillation of the hemispheric resonator allows determining angular position of the gyroscope body in relation to inertial space. Distinctive features of the new inertial sensor include high accuracy, wide operational temperature range, outstanding performance reliability (P=0.995 not less than 15 years) and smaller price resulting from less labor input during industrial production of the instrument.