| 摘要 |
A gravity sensing apparatus comprises a first accelerometer and a second accelerometer spaced from the first accelerometer. The first accelerometer C may be located in a tail extension stinger S of an aircraft, and the second accelerometer A and/or B may be in aerodynamic pods attached to the wings. Movement of the second accelerometer is determined using a monitoring device which has a known spatial relationship with the first accelerometer. The monitoring device is preferably laser transmitter module mounted on the fuselage which directs a laser beam at a beam position sensor on the pod, and thus measures wing flap. The detected movement is used to compensate the signal from the second accelerometer for the effects of unwanted accelerations due to wing flap, and the compensated signal and the signal from the first accelerometer are used to determine a gravity gradient. A further accelerometer D may be provided in a fixed spatial relationship with the first accelerometer, such as at the centre of gravity of the aircraft. The accelerometers may be semiconductor based, e.g. MEMS, and may each be mounted in a temperature stabilised enclosure. The apparatus can also be applied helicopters or ground vehicles. |
