LOW-COST MINIATURE VELOCIMETER

A COMPACT, SIMPLE AND TOTALLY PASSIVE VELOCIMETER OR INTEGRATING ACCELEROMETER UTILIZING WELL ESTABLISHED MECHANICAL PRINCIPLE IS PROPOSED. THE ADVANTAGES OF THE PROPOSED APPROACH ARE THAT: (1) THE SENSOR IS TRULY INTEGRATING AND CONSUMES NO POWER, (2) THE OUTPUT CAN BE ANALOG OR DIGITAL AND THE MEMORY FOR THE OUTPUT LASTS INDEFINITELY,(3) IT IS IMMUNE TO ANGULAR ACCELERATION, VIBRATION AND SHOCK BY ITS DESIGN, (4) IT IS INSENSITIVE TO TEMPERATURE AND ITS VOLUME IS LESS THAN 1 CC AND (5) IT IS LOW COST. THE PROPOSAL DEMONSTRATES THE PRINCIPLE OF OPERATION AND PROVIDES RESULTS OF A PRELIMINARY TEST THAT LEADS TO PERFORMANCE AND VOLUME ESTIMATES STATED ABOVE. PHASE I PROGRAM WILL PROVIDE A DETAILED ANALYSIS OF THE SENSOR DYNAMICS AND A COMPLETE DESIGN FOR THE VELOCIMETER. IT WILL ALSO DEMONSTRATE THE FEASIBILITY OF THE CONCEPT THROUGH A LABORATORY MODEL AND DETERMINE THE OPTIMAL MATERIAL TO BE USED FOR THE SENSOR. THE FABRICATION AND TESTING OF THE VELOCIMETER WILL BE IMPLEMENTED IN PHASE II.