Wide-band servo accelerometer with flat leaf flexure suspension

Abstract

A servo accelerometer includes a proof mass suspended by way of a flat leaf flexure suspended between upper and lower excitation rings. Electrically conductive material forming pick-off capacitance plates is disposed on opposing sides of the proof mass to form capacitive elements with respect to the excitation rings which, in turn, forms a position detector. In response to a force or acceleration along a sensitive axis (i.e., generally normal to the plane of the proof mass), the proof mass is displaced relative to the excitation rings causing a change in the capacitance of the capacitive elements. A servo system, which includes one or more electromagnets, returns the proof mass to its null or at rest position. In order to compensate for the transverse bending of the flat leaf flexure which results in the proof mass having two degrees of freedom, the accelerometer is configured such that the two degrees of freedom respond like a single degree of freedom with respect to the servo system. In particular, the accelerometer is configured such that the centroid of the position detector is disposed as near as possible to the center of percussion, which minimizes the dynamic sensitivity of the accelerometer to the location of the center of force which, in turn, allows the center of force to be moved near the center of mass for optimized static performance. By moving the center of force close to the center of mass and, therefore, near the center of percussion, sensitivity of the accelerometer to production variations in the position of the centroid of the position detector is minimized.