United Technologies Corporation

E Marston Moffatt

Richard E Swarts

Mario T Lopiccolo

A metal diaphragm impulse pump with no valves is disclosed. The pump may be used in an angular velocity sensor utilizing the Coriolis effect on a fluid jet. A magnetic core is mounted within an anvil and a drive coil is wound around the core. The drive coil may be driven sinusoidally and the diaphragm, which is mounted on the anvil responds with a vibratory motion in like manner. Sensing poles are provided in quadrature with the drive coils and may be used to sense the vibratory motion and thereby control the fluid flow.

Impulse pump with a metal diaphragm

An angular velocity sensor utilizing the Coriolis effect on a fluid jet employs a metal diaphragm impulse jet pump with no valves to reduce temperature sensitivity. The pump anvil, the nozzle block and the sensor plug may all be fabricated of the same material to further reduce temperature sensitivity. The thickness of the sensing elements is selected to reduce temperature sensitivity still further.

Angular velocity sensor having low temperature sensitivity

An angular velocity sensor utilizing the Coriolis effect on a fluid jet employs increased spacing between the sensing elements to increase the scale factor and to reduce flow disturbances. A metal diaphragm pump is utilized to improve the ability to control the flow rate. Flow disturbances are further reduced by using a single, symmetrical central flowhole, eliminating curtain holes, and providing only two discharge paths oriented 180.degree. apart.

Jet flow in an angular velocity sensor

The sensor wires (16, 18) of an angular rate sensor (ARS) on sensor plug assembly (12) are mounted to their respective mounting posts (20-23) using dual laser beams (30, 32) spaced on opposite sides of the wire (16) so as to melt the post surface without direct heating of the wire.

Dual laser beam brazing of fine wires

The accuracy of a fluid jet angular velocity sensor is increased by reducing flow disturbances which tend to increase the device's temperature sensitivity.

Angular velocity sensor

The present invention relates to a sensor for sensing orthogonal components of angular velocity of rotation of the sensor about any axis in a plane perpendicular to a reference jet axis within the sensor, wherein a fluid jet is deflected relative to two pairs of electrically resistive, temperature sensitive elements in response to rotation of the sensor, wherein each pair of elements forms the sensing branch of a bridge circuit, the jet deflection causing differential cooling and bridge unbalance which is an indication of the deflection of the fluid jet from the reference jet axis which is in turn an indication of the rate and direction of angular rotation, wherein each pair of elements is disposed in a plane perpendicular to the reference jet axis, each pair sensing an orthogonal component of angular velocity of rotation.

The flexible membrane for sensing a differential pressure in a cylindrical sensor is made from a tube with heavy end rings that gradually taper down to form a flexible membrane such that stresses from membrane flexions are distributed throughout the end rings to prevent the stresses from being transmitted to the joints between the tube and its supporting structure thereby reducing hysteresis and creep deformation effects; temperature and stray capacitance effects are minimized by using the capacitive sensor in a tank circuit having an inductor integral to the transducer structure, the tank circuit oscillating at its resonant frequency for use in indicating the differential pressure.

Capacitive pressure transducer

An angular rate sensor includes a unitary structure impulse pump for providing fluid under pressure, at a constant rate of flow, to a nozzle disposed at one end of a jet chamber to form a constant flow fluid jet, the jet chamber including a pair of temperature sensitive elements disposed at the other end in such a manner as to be differentially cooled by the fluid jet in dependence on the angular rotation of the sensor.

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Glastonbury, CT, United States of America

E Marston Moffatt