Measuring and testing – Speed – velocity – or acceleration – Acceleration determination utilizing inertial element
Patent
1987-05-19
1989-02-21
Levy, Stewart J.
Measuring and testing
Speed, velocity, or acceleration
Acceleration determination utilizing inertial element
73DIG1, G01P 1510
Patent
active
048054569
ABSTRACT:
An accelerometer is provided by a sample mass suspended in a central area of a support by pairs of resonating arms. One pair of arms lies on one axis through the sample mass. Another pair of arms lies on a second axis through the sample mass perpendicular to the one axis. Acceleration of the mass and support is detected by a measured change in resonant frequency of the arms of a pair. The measured change in resonant frequency is the magnitude of the acceleration and the axis along which the pair of arms lies provides the direction of the acceleration. Orthogonal components of acceleration are simultaneously measured by the pairs of arms lying on perpendicular axes. Electrostatic force-rebalance techniques and other known techniques for measuring acceleration in a direction perpendicular to the axes of the pairs of arms are readily incorporated to provide a third direction measurement of acceleration. The accelerometer is fabricated in a monolithic process which employs micromachining techniques.
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Chang Shih-Chia
Howe Roger T.
Bell Robert P.
Levy Stewart J.
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
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