Device for calibrating ultra-sensitive accelerometers
First Claim
1. A device for calibrating acceleration-sensitive measuring instruments, said instruments being attached to a support and delivering electrical signals in response to acceleration actions, said device comprising three parts of actuators respectively associated with three reference axes forming a trirectangular trihedral for applying accelerations to said instrument support along said three reference axes whereby each of said actuator pairs induces periodic translational and rotational accelerations.
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Abstract
Measuring instruments, such as ultra-sensitive accelerometers, are attached to a support inlcuding three pairs of electrodynamic or piezoelectric actuators. Each actuator pair is associated with one respective common axis of a reference trirectangular system. An electronic speed and phase slaver chains the actuators to induce translational and rotational accelerations in the support. Electrical signals delivered from the instruments to be calibrated are analyzed by synchronous demodulations and processed to determine sensitivity, orientation and position of the instruments in relation to the reference axes. The instrument support can be carried on-board a satellite.
20 Citations
15 Claims
- 1. A device for calibrating acceleration-sensitive measuring instruments, said instruments being attached to a support and delivering electrical signals in response to acceleration actions, said device comprising three parts of actuators respectively associated with three reference axes forming a trirectangular trihedral for applying accelerations to said instrument support along said three reference axes whereby each of said actuator pairs induces periodic translational and rotational accelerations.
- 13. A calibration method for instruments sensitive to accelerations, said instruments being attached to a support and delivering electrical signals in response to acceleration actions, said method comprising applying periodic translational and rotational accelerations to said instrument support along three reference axes forming a trirectangular trihedral, and collecting said electrical signals delivered from said instruments to be calibrated thereby deducing the characteristics of said instruments, said periodic translational and rotational accelerations being induced by three pairs of actuators respectively associated with said three reference axes.
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15. A calibration method for instruments sensitive to accelerations, said instruments being attached to a support and delivering electrical signals responsive to acceleration actions, said support being carried on-board a compensated-drag satellite, said method comprising applying periodic translational accelerations to said instrument support along three reference axes forming a trirectangular trihedral, in) collecting said electrical signal delivered from said instruments to be calibrated thereby deducing characteristics of said instruments, said periodic translational accelerations being induced by three pairs of electrodynamic actuators respectively associated with said three reference axes and being respectively included in three loops for position-slaving said instrument support in relation to a test weight, said test weight being included in a drag compensation detector of said satellite, said drag compensation detector being capacitive and having three pairs of electrodes respectively associated with said three reference axes, applying two oppositely phased detection voltages to said two electrodes of each of said electrode pairs respectively, during instrument calibration phases applying calibration acceleration generation voltages to said two electrodes associated with a predetermined one of said reference axes and other voltages having half amplitudes and opposite phases to those of said calibration acceleration generation voltages, said electrical signals delivered from said measuring instruments to be calibrated being analyzed by synchronous demodulations and processed to determine sensitivity, orientation and position of said instruments in relation to said reference axes.
Specification