Chinese scientists claim to have created an innovative fiber-optic gyroscope that demonstrates remarkable stability over a wide temperature spectrum and can be utilized for navigation purposes.
The research team from the Tianjin Navigation Instruments Research Institute along with scholars from Jinan University suggest that the gyroscope can provide a more reliable method for navigation measurement in aircraft, ships, and oil platforms.
Gyroscopes are instruments capable of detecting both the orientation and the speed at which an object rotates, making them crucial components in inertial guidance systems.
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Those navigation systems allow for the measurement of vehicles without the need for external signals like satellites. That makes them immune to interference, which is vital for military and security applications.
Conventional gyros depend on movable parts for their operation, whereas fibre-optic gyroscopes use the changing movement of light in optical fibres to operate.
Owing to their straightforward design and superior precision, a widely adopted variant—referred to as an interferometric fiber-optic gyroscope, or IFOG—is utilized across various applications including military operations such as weaponry systems, alongside civilian sectors like aerospace, offshore drilling platforms, and self-driving cars.
However, advancements with IFOGs have been constrained because of the properties of the fibers involved. This led the research group to create a novel gyroscope design that utilizes hollow optical fibers instead.
The researchers stated in a paper published in the peer-reviewed journal Nature Communications last month, "We introduce an innovative navigation-grade interferometric air-core fiber-optic gyroscope."
They said it was "the first instance of navigation-grade performance in air-core [fibre-optic gyroscopes]".
"We have achieved the world record measurement accuracy in air-core fibre gyroscopes, entered the ranks of 'high-precision fibre gyroscopes', and pointed out the direction for further optimisation," said corresponding author Ding Wei, a professor at the Jinan University College of Physics & Optoelectronic Engineering.
Conventional fibre-optic gyroscopes use solid-core fibres, whose physical properties mean they are susceptible to operational issues caused by environmental factors - things like temperature, radiation and magnetic fields.
To reduce the impact of these factors, solid-core gyroscopes need to be equipped with bulky components for protection. But doing so increases the cost, energy consumption and space needed to place these gyroscopes into vehicles like submarines, spacecraft and drilling rigs, according to Ding.
Mechanical gyroscopes with solid cores have hit the limits of what engineers can achieve through optimization techniques, prompting researchers to explore innovative designs aimed at enhancing their capabilities.
Back in 2006, scientists initially suggested employing hollow or air-core fibers for this purpose.
These gyroscopes exhibit reduced susceptibility to temperature changes, a diminished reaction to magnetic fields, and enhanced resistance to radiation, thus rendering them more appropriate for deployment in demanding conditions," according to Ding.
But there had been doubts over whether this was achievable since no one had "truly" developed a high-precision air-core model since they were proposed.
Ding's team took on the challenge. They said their air-core gyroscope had reduced thermal sensitivity - by about 10 times what it was in the solid-core gyroscopes.
They expected the gyroscope to become even more stable as the design was improved.
But Ding said it had not yet beaten traditional solid-core gyroscopes on measurement accuracy.
"These results represent a significant step towards [the] long-standing promise of high-precision inertial navigation applications with superior environmental adaptability," the researchers said.
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This article originally appeared on the South China Morning Post (www.scmp.com), the leading news media reporting on China and Asia.
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