Balancing of metal resonators of wave solid-state gyroscopes of general use
Authors: Basarab M.A. , Lunin B.S. , Chumankin E.A. 
Published: November 2021

Wave solid-state gyroscopes (WSG) are among the most modern navigation devices. Based on the phenomenon of precession of elastic waves in thin-walled axisymmetric bodies, WSGs have a simple design, including 2-3 fixed parts, and have a number of advantages over other types of gyroscopes: great resource of work; small random error; resistance to severe operating conditions (overload, vibration, gamma radiation); relatively small overall dimensions, weight and power consumption; preservation of inertial information during short-term power outages. From the point of view of practical application and technologies used, three main groups of WSG can be distinguished. Wave solid-state gyroscopes of high precision. In such devices, high-quality (with a Q-factor of over 1·107) quartz resonators, contactless sensors and actuators, as well as complex electronic control systems are used. The field of application today, for various reasons, is limited to space technology, which requires, along with high precision, a long working life. Micromechanical devices of low accuracy for mass use (laptop computers, toys, industrial equipment, etc.) Integration of micromechanical WSGs with satellite systems makes it possible to create small-sized inexpensive navigation systems for widespread use. This market segment is developing very quickly, but production of such devices requires a very high the level of development of the microelectronic industry. An intermediate group consists of sensors of general use with metal resonators. Although these devices are larger than micromechanical devices, their production technology is much simpler. Metal resonators with a quality factor of (3 ... 5)∙104 can be manufactured using universal metal-cutting equipment; such devices have a simple design, do not require the creation of a high vacuum in their housing, and widespread radioelements can be used in control units. As a result, devices of this group, possessing insignificant power consumption and long working life, have a low cost price. On the other hand, the comparatively large dimensions of the resonator allow their precise tuning, which makes it possible to sharply increase the accuracy of the gyro instruments. From these points of view, a general-purpose WSG with a metal resonator is the most promising device that should replace the rotary-type electromechanical gyroscopes used today, and the production of which can be quickly mastered by the domestic industry. The development of such sensors requires solving a number of scientific and technical problems. Since all the main characteristics of such a device are determined by the properties of the resonator, special attention should be paid to its design and production technology. One of the most difficult and expensive operations in the WSG technology is the balancing of the resonator, carried out to eliminate the mass imbalance that arises during its manufacture due to inevitable deviations from the ideal axisymmetric shape (inhomogeneity of the wall thickness, displacement of the centers of the outer and inner surfaces, etc.). At a nonzero value of the 4th harmonics of the mass imbalance, a splitting of the natural frequency of the resonator occurs, leading to random errors in the WSG. A number of technologies are described in the literature to eliminate this mass defect [3-5]. The resonator balancing according to the first three forms of mass defect is much more difficult. Here, oscillations of the center of mass of the resonator occur during operation of the gyroscope and additional dissipation of the energy of oscillations of the resonator in the nodes of its attachment. This leads to a dependence of the Q-factor of the resonator on the orientation of the standing wave and, consequently, to a systematic error of the device. Thus, the aim of this work is to develop a technique and equipment for balancing metal resonators according to the first three forms of mass defect, suitable for use in the production of general-purpose WSGs.