摘要:
A high-energy laser system having gyroscopically stabilized optical elements includes an unstable confocal laser resonator having first and second spinning cavity feedback mirrors that resist mechanical wave energy induced spatial dislocations by gyroscopic inertia. One or both of the spinning cavity mirrors are preferably mounted for rotation with the rotor of a gyroscope. The gyroscope is operative as an actuator for selectively tilting the spinning mirror, and as a direction indicator for controlling the pointing direction of other elements with respect to inertial space. The angular rotation of the cavity feedback mirrors generates aerodynamic flows that cool the spinning mirrors by convective heat transport. Every material particle thereof describes an annular path once per revolution that prevents hot-spot formation and extends the useful lifetime.
摘要:
A computer input device includes, in one embodiment, at least two accelerometers, at least two gyroscopes, and a processor within a housing. Signals from the accelerometers and the gyroscopes are utilized to determine the relative motion of the computer input device.
摘要:
A thermoelectric device transfers heat away from or toward an object using the Peltier effect. In some embodiments, the length of at least one thermoelectric element is at least ten times greater than a combined average cross-sectional dimension, orthogonal to the length, of two thermoelectric elements.
摘要:
A longitudinal mode resonator that includes a substrate and a bar that is suspended relative to the substrate. The bar is suspended such that it is free to expand and contract longitudinally in response to the application of an electric field across its thickness. The expansion and contraction of the bar achieves resonance in response to the field having a frequency substantially equal to the fundamental frequency of the bar.
摘要:
A temperature compensated oscillating accelerometer with force multiplier includes a support substrate; a tuning fork suspended above the substrate; a primary anchor device connected between the tuning fork and substrate; a proof mass having an input axis; a force multiplier interconnected between the proof mass and the tuning fork; and a force multiplier anchor connected to the substrate and disposed at approximately the same area along the input axis as the primary anchor for offsetting the opposing effects of thermal expansion and stiffness in response to variations in temperature.
摘要:
A micromechanical accelerometer comprises a mass of monocrystalline silicon in which a substantially symmetrical plate attached to a silicon frame by flexible linkages is produced by selective etching. The plate has a plurality of apertures patterned and etched therethrough to speed further etching and freeing of the plate and flexible linkages, suspending them above a void etched beneath. The plate is capable of limited motion about an axis created by the flexible linkages. An accelerometer comprised of a substantially symmetrical, linkage supported plate configuration is implemented as an angular accelerometer paired with an auxiliary linear accelerometer, which is used to compensate for the linear sensitivity of the angular sensor, to achieve an instrument that is insensitive to linear acceleration and responds to angular acceleration.
摘要:
A three axis, single degree of freedom gyroscope based rate sensing platform has restraining torque developed for the platform from a feedback loop that includes electronics that decouples individual gyroscope outputs from the rate inputs that correspond to axes other than the input axis for that gyroscope and provides an enhanced frequency response. The outputs from the various gyroscopes are processed in a compensator that estimates the platform rates on independent axes using either a Kalman filter estimator or a matrix inverse of the matrix equation of motion between platform input rate and gyroscope output. High bandwidth performance is obtained by an increased stiffness and prefiltering of the gyro torque inputs.
摘要:
A microfabricated tuning fork rate sensitive structure and drive electronics in which vibrational forces are communicated through a set of meshing drive and driven finger electrodes associated with each of two vibrating elements. The vibrating elements are supported in a rotatable assembly between first and second support electrodes which are in turn suspended by flexures for rotation about an axis passing through the flexures and through a point midway between the vibrating elements. Additional masses are formed onto the vibrating elements to improve overall sensor sensitivity. Sense electrodes for detecting capacitive changes between the support electrodes and the sense electrodes are positioned at each end of the support electrodes. Drive electronics are connected between the driven fingers of the vibrating elements and the drive electrode fingers which mesh with them to cause vibration. Excitation is provided between the support electrodes and the sense electrodes. Any change in signal resulting from rotation of the assembly and the resulting variation in capacitance between the support electrodes and the sense electrodes is sensed as a measure of inertial rate. A torque loop may be additionally formed using the sense electrodes in order to re-torque the assembly to a neutral position in a torque-to-balance loop.
摘要:
An accelerometer fabricated by micromachining techniques from a crystaline precursor. The accelerometer is formed in a body of a semiconductor crystal such as silicon by doping portions to an etch resistant condition and etching a cavity around them to release a resiliently suspended multi legged member. A conductor is formed in one of the legs. A permanent magnet is placed with opposite polarity poles on either side of the leg and the acceleration displacement of the member sensed from which a current is developed through the leg conductor to restore the member position and provide an output indication of acceleration.