Accelerometer

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Image ID: 162

Philbrick, C. Russell

 

Three Axis Piezoelectric Accelerometer – Falling Sphere

We have developed the three axis piezoelectric accelerometer instrument to provide measurements with very high accuracy and high spatial resolution. The sensitivity of the instrument is on the order of 10-8 g.  The accelerometer is housed in a 25 cm diameter sphere, which uses balanced moments of inertia for spin stabilization of the sphere released from a rochet payload near 70 km at a spin rate of 6 Hz. Measurements are analyzed to provide the profiles of atmospheric density, temperature, and wind velocity up to the flight apogee, about 160 km, and on descent to an altitude of about 45 km.

Documents

   "Atmospheric structure measurements from accelerometer instrumented falling spheres", Philbrick, C. R., J. P. McIsaac, D. H. Fryklund, R. F. Buck, Forschungsbericht W; 81-052, Bundesministerium fur Forschung und Technologie, Bonn, Germany, 1980, pp. 352 - 361
   "Atmospheric properties from measurements at Kwajalein Atoll on 5 April 1978", Philbrick, C. R., J. P. Noonan, E. T. Fletcher. Jr., T. Hanrahan, J. E. Salah, D. W. Blood, R. O. Olsen, B. W. Kennedy, Air Force Surveys in Geophysics, NO. 396, Air Force Systems Command, USAF, 1978, pp. 1 - 123