Fiber-optic Gyroscope
A fiber-optic gyroscope (FOG) is a type of sensor that uses the interference of light to detect mechanical rotation. In the context of aerospace engineering, FOGs are used for precision motion sensing in navigation systems of various aircraft, spacecraft, and satellites. The principle of operation is based on the Sagnac effect, which states that a phase difference is induced between two light beams traveling in opposite directions when they are subjected to rotation. This phase difference is then converted into an electrical signal that can be used to determine the rate of rotation. FOGs have several advantages over traditional mechanical gyroscopes, including no moving parts, high reliability, and resistance to shock and vibration. However, they also have limitations such as sensitivity to temperature changes and the need for complex signal processing. Despite these challenges, the use of FOGs in aerospace applications continues to grow due to their high performance and suitability for harsh environments.
Your Previous Searches
Random Picks
- Structural Materials: Structural materials are materials that are used to construct the physical components of spacecraft and launch vehicles. These materials must be able to withstand the harsh conditions of space, including extreme temperatures, radiation, and ... Read More >>
- Geometric Distortion: Geometric distortion refers to the deviation of the actual shape of an object or image from its ideal shape. In the context of space and astronautical engineering, geometric distortion can occur in images captured by cameras or sensors on s ... Read More >>
- Flywheels: In space and astronautical engineering, flywheels are mechanical devices used for energy storage and attitude control of spacecraft. They consist of a spinning rotor that stores kinetic energy, which can be used to power spacecraft systems ... Read More >>
Top News
A Harvest Moon reaches peak illumination tonight: When to look up...
It's called a Harvest Moon because it traditionally provided farmers with more time to pick their crops. Here's what else to know about the full moon....
News Source: USA Today on 2024-09-17
A former University of Iowa manager embezzled funds, an audit finds...
A new state audit in Iowa says the former manager of the machine shop at the University of Iowa’s Department of Physics and Astronomy deposited nearly $1 million that should have gone to the univers...
News Source: ABC News on 2024-09-04
NASA’s DART collision may result in the first human-made meteor shower...
Small, rocky debris created when NASA intentionally slammed a spacecraft into an asteroid could create a new meteor shower that may be visible from Earth or Mars....
News Source: CNN on 2024-08-31
Read an extract from Octavia E. Butler's Parable of the Sower...
In the opening to Octavia E. Butler's prescient science fiction novel Parable of the Sower, the latest pick for the New Scientist Book Club, we are introduced to Lauren Olamina and start to learn abou...
News Source: New Scientist on 2024-08-30
Six mysterious rogue worlds spotted within cosmic cloud by Webb telescope...
Astronomers used the James Webb Space Telescope to spot rogue worlds that don’t orbit stars within a cosmic cloud 960 light-years away....
News Source: CNN on 2024-08-27