Accelerometer using radioactive pickoff
A precision accelerometer is provided which is capable of measuring linear accelerations along three axes. The accelerometer incorporates a self-charging radioactive particle as the inertial acceleration sensing mass. The particle is contained in an evacuated cubical chamber, and the position of the particle within the chamber is established by the differential between the mean number of emitted charged particles detected at the opposite walls of the chamber, whenever the particle moves from a central position within the chamber. The accelerometer includes an electronic control system which generates feedback signals that tend to maintain the particle centered within the chamber in the presence of accelerations, and at the same time to provide electrical outputs which are measurements of the accelerations along the three coordinate axes. 6 claims, 3 figures.
- Assignee:
- Singer Co.
- Patent Number(s):
- US 3992953
- OSTI ID:
- 7116213
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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