Title:
IMPROVED GRAVITY SENSING INSTRUMENT
Document Type and Number:
WIPO Patent Application WO/2010/132111
Kind Code:
A3
Abstract:
An instrument for determining the second and/or third-order components of the gravity tensor includes a group of six accelerometers arranged at an equal radius from a spin axis and positioned at 60 degree intervals about the spin axis with the sensing axis of each accelerometer aligned tangentially to the circle subscribed by the accelerometers as they rotate about the spin axis. A gyro-stabilized platform maintains the accelerometer arrangement at a preferred alignment relative to the local gravity vector. As the accelerometers orbit about the spin axis, each accelerometer outputs a sinusoidal signal that is offset by 60 degrees from its immediately adjacent leading and trailing accelerometers with the outputs thereof processed to provide the second-order component and the third-order tensor component. In another arrangement, a group of eight accelerometers arranged at an equal radius from a spin axis and positioned at 45 degree intervals about the spin axis can provide second, third, and fourth-order tensor components. The higher-order tensor components are of use in "de-cluttering" the lower- order tensor components.
Inventors:
MEYER THOMAS J (US)
Application Number:
PCT/US2010/001417
Publication Date:
March 03, 2011
Filing Date:
May 13, 2010
Export Citation:
Assignee:
LOCKHEED CORP (US)
MEYER THOMAS J (US)
MEYER THOMAS J (US)
International Classes:
G01V7/00
Foreign References:
| US20030209070A1 | 2003-11-13 | |||
| US20090064778A1 | 2009-03-12 | |||
| US5922951A | 1999-07-13 | |||
| US5357802A | 1994-10-25 | |||
| US5339684A | 1994-08-23 |
Attorney, Agent or Firm:
WALTER, Wallace, G. (Alexandria, VA, US)
Download PDF: