Vibrating Beam Accelerometer performance

Abstract

Substantial progress has been made by Kearfott Guidance and Navigation Corporation in developing a high quality VBA. Recent emphasis has been on determining the response of the resonator used in the VBA to gravity. A quartz crystal transducer is the acceleration-sensing element used in the solid-state accelerometer design. It produces a frequency change proportional to force, increasing for tensile loading and decreasing for compressive loading. Forces are derived from accelerations applied to a pendulous-supported proof mass. It also produces an undesirable force dependent transient response termed the Inversion Transient.