Toroidal Resonator Gyroscope with Fused Silica Fabrication
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current navigational applications, such as surveillance robots and UAVs, require smaller and more accurate gyroscopes that can calculate position without relying on GPS, especially in environments with limited or corrupted GPS information.
Innovation Solution
A gyroscope design featuring an axi-symmetric resonator, typically toroidal in shape, with a thin gap between the resonator and electrodes, which allows for precise electrostatic interactions and vibrational modes, enabling accurate position tracking through micro-fabrication techniques like fused silica flowing processes.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Volume of moving object
If the resonator size is reduced for smaller gyroscopes, then the device meets miniaturization requirements for navigational applications, but the quality factor and energy losses are adversely affected
Solution Approach 1:
The resonator employs a toroidal (doughnut-shaped) geometry with curved surfaces instead of flat or cylindrical shapes. This curvature distributes stress more evenly and creates favorable vibration modes that maintain high quality factors even at reduced sizes, directly addressing the energy loss problem in miniaturized gyroscopes
Solution Approach 2:
The patent optimizes specific geometric parameters of the toroidal resonator including the ratio of major to minor radii, shell thickness, and gap dimensions. By carefully controlling these parameters, the design achieves a balance between miniaturization and maintaining low energy losses through optimized vibrational characteristics
2Manufacturing precision
If conventional fabrication methods are used, then the manufacturing process is well-established, but achieving the required precision for thin gaps and axi-symmetric shapes becomes difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces traditional mechanical machining and micromachining methods with a material deposition process. Fused silica is deposited conformally onto a mandrel and then selectively removed, allowing precise control of thin gap dimensions and perfect axi-symmetric shapes without the limitations of conventional mechanical fabrication
Solution Approach 2:
The fabrication process utilizes phase transitions of fused silica material, depositing it in a controlled manner and then selectively removing portions through controlled melting or etching. This phase-based approach enables precise dimensional control that is difficult to achieve with purely mechanical methods
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The design achieves high quality factor, low energy losses, and minimal drift, facilitating precise position tracking and rotation angle calculations, suitable for commercial-scale production and various navigational applications.
Implementation Method 1
one or more piezoelectric electrodes transmit vibratory motion to the resonator, receive vibratory motion from the resonator, or both
Implementation Method 2
a thin gap being located between the resonator and the plurality of electrodes
Data Source
AI summary
A gyroscope having a mechanical resonator, a plurality of electrodes located around the resonator, and a thin gap being located between the resonator and the plurality of electrodes. The resonator is axi-symmetric and may be at least partially toroidal in shape or composed of concentric rings. Piezoelectric electrodes or transduction may be used to drive or detect displacements of the resonator. The resonator may be fabricated using a fused silica flowing process.