A
fibre optic gyrocompassA gyrocompass is similar to a gyroscope. It is a compass that finds true north by using an fast-spinning wheel and friction forces in order to exploit the rotation of the Earth. Gyrocompasses are widely used on ships...
is a
compassA compass is a navigational instrument for determining direction relative to the Earth's magnetic poles. It consists of a magnetized pointer free to align itself with Earth's magnetic field. The compass greatly improved the safety and efficiency of travel, especially ocean travel...
and instrument of
navigationNavigation is the process of reading, and controlling the movement of a craft or vehicle from one place to another. It is also the term of art used for the specialized knowledge used by navigators to perform navigation tasks. The word navigate is derived from the Latin "navigare", meaning "to sail"...
. It is often part of a ships set of compasses, which also include a conventional
gyrocompassA gyrocompass is similar to a gyroscope. It is a compass that finds true north by using an fast-spinning wheel and friction forces in order to exploit the rotation of the Earth. Gyrocompasses are widely used on ships...
and a magnetic compass.
The fibre optic gyrocompass is a complete unit, which has no rotating or other moving parts. it uses a series of
fibre optic gyroscopeA fiber optic gyroscope is a gyroscope that uses the interference of light to detect mechanical rotation. The sensor is a coil of as much as 5 km of optical fiber....
sensors and computers to locate
northNorth is one of the four cardinal directions, specifically the direction that, in Western culture, is treated as the fundamental direction:* North is used to define all other directions....
. It has very high reliability and requires little maintenance during its service life.
Discussion
Ask a question about 'Fibre optic gyrocompass' Start a new discussion about 'Fibre optic gyrocompass' Answer questions from other users |
A
fibre optic gyrocompassA gyrocompass is similar to a gyroscope. It is a compass that finds true north by using an fast-spinning wheel and friction forces in order to exploit the rotation of the Earth. Gyrocompasses are widely used on ships...
is a
compassA compass is a navigational instrument for determining direction relative to the Earth's magnetic poles. It consists of a magnetized pointer free to align itself with Earth's magnetic field. The compass greatly improved the safety and efficiency of travel, especially ocean travel...
and instrument of
navigationNavigation is the process of reading, and controlling the movement of a craft or vehicle from one place to another. It is also the term of art used for the specialized knowledge used by navigators to perform navigation tasks. The word navigate is derived from the Latin "navigare", meaning "to sail"...
. It is often part of a ships set of compasses, which also include a conventional
gyrocompassA gyrocompass is similar to a gyroscope. It is a compass that finds true north by using an fast-spinning wheel and friction forces in order to exploit the rotation of the Earth. Gyrocompasses are widely used on ships...
and a magnetic compass.
The fibre optic gyrocompass is a complete unit, which has no rotating or other moving parts. it uses a series of
fibre optic gyroscopeA fiber optic gyroscope is a gyroscope that uses the interference of light to detect mechanical rotation. The sensor is a coil of as much as 5 km of optical fiber....
sensors and computers to locate
northNorth is one of the four cardinal directions, specifically the direction that, in Western culture, is treated as the fundamental direction:* North is used to define all other directions....
. It has very high reliability and requires little maintenance during its service life. The entire system usually includes a sensor unit, a control and display unit, and an interface and power supply unit. it is often linked with the ship's other navigational devices including the GPS system.