Home : Gallery : History : Uses : Behaviour : Maths : Forum : Propulsion : Links : Glossary
Main Forum Page

The Gyroscope Forum

29 March 2024 08:40

Welcome to the gyroscope forum. If you have a question about gyroscopes in general, want to know how they work, or what they can be used for then you can leave your question here for others to answer. You may also be able to help others by answering some of the questions on the site.

Search the forum:  
 

Question

Asked by: Brooke Clarke
Subject: North Finding
Question: Hi:

I just got a book that has a collection of the papers of Léon Foucault and have a friend helping me translate them.
I'm trying to get a gyroscope to align it's spin axis with the Earth's spin axis, but so far with no luck.
http://www.prc68.com/I/Gyroscopes.html#Foucault
PS the photo on Wiki of Foucault's setup is incomplete, I have a better one from the UK showing all the parts.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=15G2nx1Nyzw
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xqODAfPEykI

As far as I can tell the gyro axis should be horizontal with a surrounding gimbal that allows the axis to tilt up or down. That gimbal is then suspended by a string allowing the assembly to rotate in azimuth. There may also been the need for a weight on the inner gimbal so that when the gyro is not spinning it's spin axis is horizontal.

Can someone emial me about how to do this?

PS the patents by Elmer Sperry give Foucault a lot of credit, but the problems caused by a moving vehicle are something that Foucault did not get into. It's sort of like the problem with a pendulum clock when used at sea.

To make a self powered gyroscope I'm using flywheels I had made and DC motors:
http://www.prc68.com/I/Flywheel.html
http://www.prc68.com/I/DCpmMotors.html
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL-b7wcJ1xQUBF-lKfMoBPL5qyv-HtMInh


Have Fun,

Brooke

Date: 14 August 2015
report abuse


Answers (Ordered by Date)


 
  • No answers yet
  • Add an Answer >>
    Website. Copyright © 2024 Glenn Turner. All rights reserved. site info
    Do not copy without prior permission. Click here for gyroscope products