Gravity gradiometer with torsion flexure pivots
OwnerMartin Vol Moodyinventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A quadrupole responder for an OQR-type gravity gradiometer comprises a housing, and a mass quadrupole positioned within the housing. The mass quadrupole has a pair of sides, and also has a center of mass between the sides. The quadruple responder further comprises at least two torsion spring flexures. The torsion spring flexures are provided by pins connecting each side of the mass quadrupole to the housing. The torsion spring flexures provide an axis of rotation which passes through the center of mass of the mass quadrupole and through both torsion spring flexures.
Claims32
A quadrupole responder for an OQR-type gravity gradiometer comprising:
- (a) a housing,
- (b) a mass quadrupole positioned within the housing, said mass quadrupole having a pair of opposing quadrupole faces and a center of mass between said opposing quadrupole faces, and
- (c) at least two torsion spring flexures, said torsion spring flexures provided by pins connecting said opposing quadrupole faces of said mass quadrupole to the housing, said torsion spring flexures together providing an axis of rotation which passes through the center of mass of said mass quadrupole and through both torsion spring flexures.
A method of detecting a gravity gradient signal having a low signal-to-noise ratio, comprising:
- (a) selecting an OQR gravity gradiometer having a pair of mass quadrupoles having rotational axes which are co-linear and which pass through the center of mass of each mass quadrupole, said axes being a common axis, wherein each mass quadrupole defines a pair of opposing quadrupole faces;
- and
- (b) providing for each mass quadrupole at least a pair of torsion spring flexures, wherein one of said torsion spring flexures is connected to each of said opposing mass quadrupole faces, said torsion spring flexures being co-linear and connecting each of said opposing mass quadrupole faces to a housing.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.