GYRO Compass

It essentially consists of a gyroscope.

It works on the principle of law of conservation of angular momentum.

It utilizes two natural phenomena to provide directional reference: earths incessant

rotation and the force of gravity.

Gyroscope

A gyroscope consists of a mass in the form of a wheel or rotor which is suspended in such a
way that it is free to spin about an axis passing through its centre of mass and perpendicular
to the plane of the rotor.

Ideal conditions warrant that the spin axis bearings should be frictionless so that any
rotation imparted to the rotor is maintained.

With this arrangement gyroscope is not constrained in any way so as to alter the direction of
spin axis.

It is then said to have three degrees of freedom & is called a Free Gyroscope.

Three degrees of freedom

Freedom to spin, i.e. rotate about the spin axis.

Freedom to turn in vertical plane or freedom to turn about horizontal axis. Also described as
freedom to tilt in altitude. Termed as tilting (Tg)

Freedom to turn in horizontal plane or freedom to turn about vertical axis. Also described as
freedom to drift in azimuth. Termed as drifting (Dg).

Effective gyroscope

For a gyroscope to be effective and efficient it should have large angular momentum,

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 This means that it should rotate at high speed and should have large moment of inertia.

Earth: A free gyroscope

Earth is the best example of free gyroscope in nature, because:

It is freely suspended in space having no friction and thus having three degrees of freedom.

It is heavy and well balanced with the equatorial mass corresponding to the plane of a rotor.
(equivalent to large moment of inertia)

Earth rotates at considerably high speed about its axis. (equivalent to spin axis of rotor)

Gyroscopic inertia

A freely spinning gyroscope will maintain its axis of spin in the same direction with respect to
space irrespective of how its supporting base is turned.

It resists any attempt to change its direction of spin.

Thus a free gyroscope has high directional stability.

This property is called GYROSCOPIC INERTIA or RIGIDITY IN SPACE or DIRECTIONAL STABILITY

The gyroscopic inertia of a rotor can be quantified by its angular momentum (H).

This in turn indicates how much force is required to change the direction in which the spin
axis points.

H depends on (angular velocity) & (moment of inertia) and is given by:

H= I

Moment of Inertia depends on mass, shape, size, distribution of mass about the axis and the
position and orientation of the axis itself.

In this case of rotor, greater the proportion of mass which lies towards the circumference of
the rotor, greater will be the and greater will be gyroscopic inertia for any given .

For this reason, rotors are designed with a heavier edge and a relatively lighter internal
construction sufficient to maintain the strength of the rotor.

This reduces the overall mass while enhancing the I.

I = Kmr2, Where, K = constant, m = mass of the rotor,

r = radius of the rotor

Precession

This phenomenon is found only in spinning bodies. It is the movement of the spin axis when
a force is applied to the spin axis of gyroscope.

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 When a couple is applied about its horizontal axis, the spin axis will turn at right angles to
the applied force in the direction of the spin of the wheel.

Similarly couple applied about the vertical axis will make the spin axis turn about the
horizontal axis in the direction of the spin axis of the wheel.

This property is called PRECESSION

Precession, P= T/ (I) OR

P = applied torque/ angular momentum

T= torque in Nm

= speed in radians/sec;

I = moment of inertia in kgm2

Free Gyroscope on earth

The orientation of the spin axis of a free gyro is constant w.r.t a fixed point in the space.

But it will have an apparent change in direction w.r.t the surface of rotating earth.

Therefore it is convenient to consider the SA of a FG as pointing to an imaginary star called

the Gyro star.

Motion of the SA relative to the earth surface can be easily understood by considering the
daily motion of the Gyro star.

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 The direction in which the spin axis points relative to the earth surface is expressed by its Tilt
& Azimuth.

Concept of Sidereal time

The earth rotates about its axis through poles in 23h 56m 40.9s of solar time.

This period is called sidereal day and may be divided into 24 sidereal hours.

24 sidereal hours = 23h 56m 04s solar hours = 23.934444 solar hours.

Any reference to time in Gyro is assumed as Sidereal time.

Tilt

It is the angle of elevation or depression of the SA above or below the Horizontal.

Equivalent to true altitude of the Gyro star.

Tilting

This is the rate of change of Tilt of the SA. It is given by the formula

Tilting = 15 Sin (Azimuth) Cos (Latitude) / Hour

Az will always be in quadrental form.

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 It is +ve or upwards east of the meridian &

-ve or downwards west of the meridian

Azimuth

The direction in which the SA points w.r.t. the true North.

In respect to the Gyro this is also known as Drift.

Drifting

Drifting is the rate of change of Azimuth of the SA.

It is given by the formula

Drfting = 15 Sin (Latitude) per hour

The formula is only applicable if SA is almost horizontal or the Tilt is close to zero.

Drifting is +ve or easterly below the pole & -ve or westerly above the pole.

Motion of Gyro at Poles

Initially if the spin axis is kept horizontal. The axis maintains constant tilt and drifts around
the horizon @ 15 deg/hour.

This rate is same as the earths rate of rotation (360 deg /24 hours).

At N pole the drift is in clockwise direction and at S pole it is in ACW direction.

At a pole latitude is 90; therefore, maximum rate of Dg occurs at poles. (Dg = 15 deg Sin lat /
Hour )

If initially spin axis pointing at zenith i.e. at a tilt of 90.

It will continue pointing in the same direction with no tilt and drift.

Motion of Gyro at Equator

Spin axis is initially pointing E. (like a body at E on rational horizon and zero declination).

There will be no drift and tilting will be maximum; changing at the rate of 15deg per hour.

The azimuth will remain 090 and after meridian passage it will be 270, with tilting now
changing @ -15/hour (negative sign to show downward tilt)

Thus Tilting is maximum at equator i.e. zero latitude and minimum at poles (90 deg lat) Also
when pointing East azimuth is maximum = 90.

Hence the tilting formula

Tilting = 15 Sin (Azimuth) Cos (Latitude) / Hour

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 If the Spin axis is initially pointing N.

It will remain pointing in North direction, with drift and tilt both zero.

Here azimuth is zero and Tilting is nil.

Motion of Gyro at intermediate latitude

As discussed above the Spin Axis will point towards the Imaginary gyro star

As the gyro star crosses the horizon it will be changing its azimuth s well as altitude and
tracing a path in the sky centred at the pole.

Hence the spin axis will also keep on Drifting & Tilting.

Motion of the Gyro Star & Gyro Spin Axis

COMBINED DRIFT AND TILT

Figure 5 [a]
Northern Hemisphere

Z
W E

Q
M
e
r
i
d Path traced out by
i NORTH end of the axle
a
n

Horizon

Controlling Free Gyro to make a North Seeking Instrument

The axis of a FG traces a circular path around the pole and keeps changing its position under
the influence of Tilting and Drifting.

FG of this sort is of no use for direction determination.

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 Thus a system is required, which can not only sense this movement but also apply a force to
control the movement due to Dg and Tg

The force of gravity is used for making gyro North Seeking.

This is done in two ways, known as top heavy effect and bottom heavy effect.

Top heavy effect requires the rotor to rotate in ACW direction and bottom heavy effect
requires CW spin, when viewed from south end

Top Heavy Control

The gyroscope is made North Seeking by attaching a weight to the rotor casing above the
COG of the rotor.

S N

When the spin axis is horizontal the COG of the weight passes through the centre of the
rotor producing no torque.

The earths rotation will however tilt the spin axis.

When the gyro axis tilts the COG of the weight does not act through the centre of the rotor
and this weight produces a torque about the horizontal axis (or in the vertical plane)

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 W

Precession
This torque will result in Precession in the horizontal plane that tends to take the spin axis
towards the meridian.

This precession is called control precession (Pc).

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 W
W

M
e N
S N r
i
d
i
a
n
Precession

HORIZON
Path traced out by
a free gyro

Torque

Precession

The direction of spin of the rotor must be in such as to produce a westerly precession of the
North end of the spin axis when that end is tilted upwards.

And this direction turns out to be ACW in top heavy type gyros and CW in bottom heavy type
gyros

Bottom heavy Control

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Path traced by Controlled Gyro

Path traced by the N end of the Spin Axis is now elliptical.

Because in gravity control gyroscope there are three vectors interacting with each other (Dg,
Tg & Pc), instead of just two(Dg and Tg).

While the two vectors resulted in a circular path traced by the spin axis, centred about pole;
the introduction of the third vector results in an elliptical path.

Note that the ellipse now formed is entirely below the pole.

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Path traced by Controlled Gyro North Hemisphere

Blue Arrow Dg

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 Green Arrow Pc

Red Arrow - Tg

Path traced by Controlled Gyro South Hemisphere

Blue Arrow Dg

Green Arrow Pc

Red Arrow - Tg

Understanding the Ellipse

Control precession (Pc), acts westwards, when Spin Axis is tilted upwards and eastwards
when the axis is tilted downwards.

Tilting acts upwards when east of meridian and downwards when west of meridian.

Drifting is always Eastward as this ellipse is formed below the pole.

In this elliptical path it is to be seen that, while the Dg vector remains same in size (15 Sin
lat),

but the Tg vector changes because Tg also varies with Sin Az and azimuth is continuously
changing. (Tilting = 15 Sin (Azimuth) Cos (Latitude) / Hour)

Pc vector also changes in magnitude because Pc is proportional to tilt.

In commercial gyros the time period to complete one revolution of the ellipse is usually
about 84-85 minutes.

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Controlling Gyro by Liquid Ballistic

Practically the gyro is controlled using a liquid ballistic, mercury.

Mercury flows between pots in the north south axis under the influence of gravity when the
gyro axis tilts out of the horizontal.

COG of the ballistic system coincides with that of the rotor.

This is similar to a top-heavy arrangement. The spin of the gyro axis is anticlockwise viewed
from the south.

Damping the Ellipse

Gravity controlled gyroscope also cannot be used as a compass because the axis does not
point along the meridian, but oscillates along the ellipse repeatedly.

Thus some form of damping is needed to damp these oscillations and make the axis settle in
equilibrium along the meridian.

In damping, the controlled ellipse becomes a spiral inwards, towards the equilibrium
position, where the axis will settle and if disturbed from that position will return to it.

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This is achieved by one of the following:

1. Damping in Azimuth - Damping precession (Pd) is towards the meridian employed in

Bottom Heavy Effect type gyros.

2. Damping in Tilt - Damping precession (Pd) is towards the horizon - employed in Top Heavy
Effect type gyros

Used in Top Heavy Gyros rotating ACW.

The Rotor casing carries a small weight (17 g in Sperry Mark 20) on top, in the plane of the
rotor, BUT OFFSET slightly to the WEST.

Rotor casing is supported in a vertical ring which surrounds the casing in E-W plane & is
connected by East West bearings.

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With the spin axis horizontal the damping weight has no effect.

But when the Spin Axis tilts, damping weight exerts a torque about the Vertical axis.

Since the rotor is moving ACW, this downward torque on the Western side produces a
downwards precession of the North end when it is tilted upwards & vice versa.

The Damping Precession generated thus is always directed towards the horizon opposing
the Tilt.

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Blue Arrow Dg

Green Arrow Pc

Red Arrow Tg

Yellow - Pd

Spiral Path

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 Spiral path is traced as a result of interaction of Dg, Tg, Pc and Pd causing the spin axis to
settle in equilibrium position.

Initially when spin axis is horizontal, there is neither

Pc nor Pd.

The end immediately acquires a positive tilt due to earths rotation.

It will also drift to E. (Nth Hemisphere)

Immediately Pc and small quantity of Pd will be introduced. Pc reduces Dg and Pd

counteracts Tg.

At a certain stage tilt increases to value where Pc = Dg. The easterly Dg ceases here.

The movement is vertical at this point under the influence of Tg which is maximum at this
point. The rate of tilting will however be reduced by Pd.

As tilt increases so does the Pc and Pd. Pc is now greater than Dg and spin axis moves
towards meridian

This means the rate of Tg is reducing while the Pd is increasing.

Thus a point comes before the meridian, where Tg = Pd and the maximum tilt is reached at
this point and will be reducing westwards, causing the meridian to be crossed at a lower tilt
(than the tilt at meridian in case of ellipse).

As the north axis moves west of meridian Tg is now downwards (while tilt is still up) and Pd
also acts down pulling spin axis rapidly towards horizon.

Due to this action of Pd, amplitude of oscillation is considerably reduced.

Maximum western azimuth is reached at a certain stage, where again Pc = Dg and spin axis
will move back to E towards meridian under the influence of all four vectors.

Pc and Pd become zero and the spin axis becomes horizontal again.

Below horizon Tg is downwards and Pd becomes upwards. Here again a point is reached
where Tg = Pd, before the meridian itself.

Then spin axis moves eastwards rapidly under the influence of Dg and Pc and cuts the
meridian at lower downward tilt. Consequently with each half cycle the oscillation is
damped or amplitude of the oscillation is reduced.

Thus each time spin axis comes to settling level (where Dg=Pc), the azimuth must reduce.

After a number of oscillations it is reduced to zero.

Why Gyro is less effective at Higher Latitudes?

It should be noted that efficacy of top heavy control in causing Pc depends on rate of Tg
which decreases away from equator until it is zero at poles.

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 Hence sensitivity and accuracy of GC is greatly reduced in latitudes 70 and above.

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