low n' slow
29th Aug 2011, 19:47
Hi all.
I'm studying the INS system mostly for the joy in understanding old and obsolete aircraft systems and instruments. I've found a question that perhaps someone could help me with.
I understand that the platform has 3 rate integrating gyros. According to a picture that I have of a platform, two of the gyros have their output axis oriented tha same way (but with the gyro spin axes at 90 degree angles to each other). I was wondering why there would be 2 gyros providing the same output? Then I thought it might be to cover if one of the gyros experience gimbal lock. Can this happen?
Providing that the rate integrating gyros are free to precess about their respective gimbal axes, I figure that there must be some point when the input axis and the rotor axis of a gyro coincide. In my small world of understanding this would create gimbal lock and must surely cause a fault in the system if not corrected. As you might understand my base of knowledge isn't that wide when it comes to this so if it's a stupid question, it's because I don't know what I don't know. Can someone please explain this to me?
/LnS
I'm studying the INS system mostly for the joy in understanding old and obsolete aircraft systems and instruments. I've found a question that perhaps someone could help me with.
I understand that the platform has 3 rate integrating gyros. According to a picture that I have of a platform, two of the gyros have their output axis oriented tha same way (but with the gyro spin axes at 90 degree angles to each other). I was wondering why there would be 2 gyros providing the same output? Then I thought it might be to cover if one of the gyros experience gimbal lock. Can this happen?
Providing that the rate integrating gyros are free to precess about their respective gimbal axes, I figure that there must be some point when the input axis and the rotor axis of a gyro coincide. In my small world of understanding this would create gimbal lock and must surely cause a fault in the system if not corrected. As you might understand my base of knowledge isn't that wide when it comes to this so if it's a stupid question, it's because I don't know what I don't know. Can someone please explain this to me?
/LnS