Electromagnetic design of a magnetically suspended gyroscope prototype

Abstract

Magnetically suspended gyroscope is an inertial orientation sensor which can be used both as an accelerometer and as an angle sensor. Unlike a conventional mechanical gyroscope, the rotor of this kind of gyroscope is suspended and spun by magnetic forces. The elimination of mechanical friction provides the gyroscope with improved accuracy and stability. This paper mainly focuses on the magnetic design of the gyroscope and discusses how the magnetic field affects the function of the gyroscope. Position sensors were employed in the gyroscope to measure the rotation and precession of the rotor. Both angular rate and acceleration were measured by inductive sensors to optimize the design of the suspension system and the rotation system.