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Mechanical Accelerometer System Analysis

Revised 5/16/2016 12:25:00
a)

Domingo A. Lpez Saldaa

Psysics Engineering Student, Universidad de Guanajuato, Len,Gto, Mx.
Loma del Bosque #103, Lomas del Bosque, Lomas del Campestre, 37150 Len, Gto.
b)

Isaac E. Castro Estrada

Physics Engineering Student, Universidad de Guanajuato, Len,Gto, Mx.
Loma del Bosque #103, Lomas del Bosque, Lomas del Campestre, 37150 Len, Gto.

In this article we present the Mechanical Accelerometer System analysis first finding the
mathematical model that represents that system with the corresponding transfer function method.

I.

INTRODUCTION

Mathematical models of physical systems are key elements

in the design and analysis of control systems. The dynamic
behavior is generally described by ordinary differential
equations. There exists a wide range of systems, including
mechanical, hydraulic, and electrical. Since most physical
systems are no linear, we must to use approximations
through Laplace Transform methods. Then, we will
proceed to obtain the
input-output
relationship
for
components and subsystems in the form of transfer
functions.

acceleration due to gravity is at a minimum) and orientation

(because tilting something changes the way gravity acts on
it and the force it feels). Accelerometers are also widely
used in inertial navigation and guidance systems in such
things as airplane and ship autopilots. Another very
common use in transportation is in automobile airbags:
when an accelerometer detects a sudden change in a car's
speed, signaling an imminent collision, it triggers an
electrical circuit that makes the airbags inflate.

IV. WHAT IS ACCELERATION?

II. ACCELEROMETERS
Speed is a handy measurement that tells you how quickly
you can get from one place to other. A cars top speed is
generally a good indication of how powerfull an engine it
has.
Acceleration is much more interesting than speed and more
useful: it`s how quickly something can speed up or peed
down Measuring acceleration is a bit more tricky than
measuring speed because it involves figuring out how speed
changes over a period of time. How do you measure
acceleration? Not surprisingly, with a device called an
accelerometer.

III. WHAT ARE ACCELEROMETERS

USED FOR?
Accelerometers are the stuff of rocket science. Mounted in
spacecraft, they're a handy way to measure not just changes
in rocket speed but also apogee (when a craft is at its
maximum distance from Earth or another mass, so its

If you have a certain force and you apply it to a mass, you'll

make the mass accelerate.
Newton's second law of motion relates force, mass, and
acceleration through this very simple equation:
Force=Mass(Acceleration)
or
Acceleration=Force/Mass
In other words, acceleration is the amount of force we need
to move each unit of mass.

V. HOW DO ACCELEROMETERS
WORK?
This equation is the theory behind accelerometers: they
measure acceleration not by calculating how speed changes
over time but by measuring force. How do they do that?
Generally speaking, by sensing how much a mass presses
on something when a force acts on it.
There are many different types of accelerometers. The
mechanical ones are a bit like scaled-down versions of

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passengers sitting in cars shifting back and forth as forces

act on them. They have something like a mass attached to a
spring suspended inside an outer casing. When they
accelerate, the casing moves off immediately but the mass
lags behind and the spring stretches with a force that
corresponds to the acceleration. The distance the spring
stretches (which is proportional to the stretching force) can
be used to measure the force and the acceleration in a
variety of different ways. Seismometers (used to measure
earthquakes) work in broadly this way, using pens on heavy
masses attached to springs to register earthquake forces.
When an earthquake strikes, it shakes the seismometer
cabinet but the pen (attached to a mass) takes longer to
move, so it leaves a jerky trace on a paper chart.

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Where:
F1=
Is the force toward to the right due to rockets
movement.
. Force due to the mass displacement with
respect to the accelerometer case.
. Spring Restoring Force
Force due to the friction

Next we will analyze an example of a mechanical

accelerometer using its transfer function and the root locus
method.

VI. MECHANICAL ACCELEROMETER

A mechanical is used to measure the acceleration of a
levitated test sled, as shown in Figure 1. The test sled is
magnetically levitated above a guide rail a small distance .
The accelerometer provides a measurement of the
acceleration a(t) of the sled, since the position y of the mass
M, with respect to the accelerometer case, is proportional to
the acceleration of the case (and the sled). The goal is
design an accelerometer with an appropriate dynamic
responsiveness. We wish to design an accelerometer with
an acceptable time for the desired measurement
characteristic, y=qa(t), to be attained (q is a constant).

Figure 2. M mass Free-body diagram

Therefore, from Figure 1 and (2) we have:

Since
( )
is the engine force, we have

Figure 1. An accelerometer mounted on a jet-engine test sled

To solve this problem first sketch the free-body diagram for the
mass M in which are showed all forces on the body (Figure 2.).
Applying equilibrium conditions in x-axis we have:

( )

or

( )

We selected the coefficients where b/M=3, k/M =2,

F(t)/ =Q(t), and we consider the initial conditions
y(0)= -1 and ( )
We the obtain the Laplace
transform equation, when the force, and thus Q(t), is a step
function, as follows:

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( )

( )

( ))

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( )

( ))

( )

( )

Since Q(s)=P/s, where P is the magnitude of the step

function, we obtain
(

( )

( )

( )

or
(

) ( )

Thus the output transform is

( )

(
(

)
)

(
(

)(

)
)
Figure 3. Accelerometer response

Expanding in partial fraction form yields

( )

For this case, using the previous parameters, the Transfer

Function will be:

We the have
(
(

)
|
)

)(

. Thus,

Similarly, k2=+P and

( )

)
)

and its Inverse Transform

Therefore, the output measurement is

( )

(
(

( )

( )

)+

Plotting y(t) in Figure 4, we now see the proportional

response is reached at t=1.
]

The plot of y(t) is shown in Figure 3 for P=3. We can see

that y(t)is proportional to the magnitude of the force after 5
seconds. Thus in steady state, after 5 seconds, the respose
y(t) is proportional to the acceleration, as desired. If this
period its excessively long, we must increase the spring

constant, k, and the friction b, while reducing the mass, M.

If we are able to select the components so that b/M=12 and

k/M =32, the accelerometer will attain the proportional
response in 1 second.

Figure 4. Accelerometer proportional response reached

in t=1

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VII. CONCLUSIONS
Our accelerometer model was an open loop system with a
3 poles and 2 zeros transfer function.
Its input was the Force F(t) and the output the mass M
position y(t).
Using the partial fraction method we found the response to
a step function in t-domain. From the plot we see after 3
seconds the system turns stable and reach a proportional
response of the acceleration. Additionally using the
parameters where b/M=12 and k/M =32, we obtain this
proportional response in t=1 s.

VIII. APPENDIX

1.
2.

b)

3.

http://www.explainthatstuff.com/accelerometers.html ,
retrieved 15/05/2016.
[1] C. Dorf, Richard, H. Bishop, Robert. Modern
Control Systems, 11th Edition (2008).

c)

Electronic mail: lopezsd2013@licifug.ugto.mx

Electronic mail: neto.castro12@gmail.com

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