
056343/C NAVIGAT X MK 1
1-2 Operating Principle
1.2 Operating Principle
The north-seeking element used in the NAVIGAT X MK 1 system is the
gyrosphere, a hermetically sealed unit with a funnel-shaped recess,
reaching from the outer skin down to its center.
Inside the gyrosphere, two mechanically linked gyroscopes are mounted
with their spin axes horizontal in a carrying frame. The gyroscopes are
allowed to turn around the vertical, but torsion bands effect a defined
rest position, while a mechanical linkage ensures that the resultant spin
vector of the gyros remains stationary relative to the gyrosphere. This
twin gyro arrangement eliminates intercardinal roll error. Once the
gyros have run up to speed, their resultant spin vector, and with it the
sphere, settles in the direction of true North.
Figure 1-1:
The gyrosphere
The top of the gyrosphere contains an annular damping trough, half
filled with a viscous fluid. The fluid damps azimuthal oscillations of the
gyroscope system. The oscillation period is tuned to the Schuler period
of 84.4 minutes, so that heading errors during horizontal acceleration
due to changes in speed and/or direction are prevented.
The gyrosphere floats in a supporting fluid inside the gyrosphere con-
tainer. Because the buoyancy of the sphere is a little greater than its
weight, a bearing cup at the bottom of the recess is pressed against the
centering pin and keeps the sphere exactly centered in the container.
In order to make the gyroscope system pendulous, that is, to provide the
gravity controlling moment, the gyrosphere is designed so that its cen-
tre of gravity lies slightly below the centre of bouyancy.
The gyroscopes are in fact squirrel-cage induction motors, which attain
a speed of nearly 20000 rpm at a voltage of 100 VAC @ 337 Hz.
In the Mod. 10/3 container, their supply power is applied through the
electrolytically conducting supporting fluid, via the top and bottom con-
tacts. In the Mod. 10/2 and Mod. 7/2 containers, the power is applied via
the centering pin and the bottom contacts.
A follow-up control circuit keeps the container aligned with the sphere at
all times, thus heading can be derived from the container’s orientation.
While systems with the Mod. 10/3 container employ an optical pickoff to
provide the follow-up control signal, systems with the Mod. 10/2 and
Mod. 7/2 containers use a resistance bridge circuit, formed by the con-
ducting paths from the contact pins in the container, through the sup-
porting fluid and to the equator contact of the gyrosphere.
centering pin
N gyro
gyro linkage
damping trough
S gyro
gyrosphere shell