Frequency Domain Analysis of Partial-Tensor Rotating Accelerometer Gravity Gradiometer

The output model of a rotating accelerometer gravity gradiometer (RAGG) established by the inertial dynamics method cannot reflect the change of signal frequency, and calibration sensitivity and self-gradient compensation effect for the RAGG is a very important stage in the development process that cannot be omitted. In this study, a model based on the outputs of accelerometers on the disc of RGAA is established to calculate the gravity gradient corresponding to the distance, through the study of the RAGG output influenced by a surrounding mass in the frequency domain. Taking particle, sphere, and cuboid as examples, the input-output models of gravity gradiometer are established based on the center gradient and four accelerometers, respectively. Simulation results show that, if the scale factors of the four accelerometers on the disk are the same, the output signal of the RAGG only contains (4k+2)ω (ω is the spin frequency of disc for RAGG) harmonic components, and its amplitude is related to the orientation of the surrounding mass. Based on the results of numerical simulation of the three models, if the surrounding mass is close to the RAGG, the input-output models of gravity gradiometer are more accurate based on the four accelerometers. Finally, some advantages and disadvantages of cuboid and sphere are compared and some suggestions related to calibration and self-gradient compensation are given.

Hybrid Architectures with Quantum Gravity Gradiometry and Satellite-to-Satellite Tracking for Spaceborne Mass Change Measurements - A Sensitivity and Performance Analysis

<p>Advances in atom interferometry have led to quantum gravity gradiometer instruments, which have further led to spaceborne mission concepts utilizing this technology to measure Earth’s gravity field and its time variations. The mass changes inferred from gravity change measurements lead to greater understanding of the dynamical Earth system, as demonstrated by GRACE and GRACE Follow-On missions.</p><p>We report the results from a sensitivity and performance assessment study with quantum gradiometers used in two configurations – first as a single-axis gradiometer with a GNSS receiver; and second in a novel hybrid configuration combining cross-track quantum gravity gradiometer and an inter-satellite tracking system. The relative advantages of the two configurations are assessed in terms of their susceptibility to system errors (such as tracking, pointing, or measurement errors), and to modeling errors due to aliasing from rapid time- variations of gravity (so-called “de-aliasing errors”). We evaluate and discuss the impact of de-aliasing errors on gravity fields resulting from the study. We conclude with a specification of the key measurement error thresholds for a notional hybrid gravity field mapping mission.</p><p>Part of the research was carried out at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, under a contract with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (80NM0018D0004).</p><p><span xml:lang="EN-US" data-scheme-color="@7F7F7F,0,18:50000" data-usefontface="false" data-contrast="none"><span>Acknowledgement: UTCSR effort was funded by JPL grant 1656926. Use of resources at the </span></span><span xml:lang="EN-US" data-scheme-color="@7F7F7F,0,18:50000" data-usefontface="false" data-contrast="none"><span>Texas Advanced Computing Center is gratefully acknowledged. </span></span></p>

An Aided Navigation Method Based on Strapdown Gravity Gradiometer

The gravity gradient is the second derivative of gravity potential. A gravity gradiometer can measure the small change of gravity at two points, which contains more abundant navigation and positioning information than gravity. In order to solve the problem of passive autonomous, long-voyage, and high-precision navigation and positioning of submarines, an aided navigation method based on strapdown gravity gradiometer is proposed. The unscented Kalman filter framework is used to realize the fusion of inertial navigation and gravity gradient information. The performance of aided navigation is analyzed and evaluated from six aspects: long voyage, measurement update period, measurement noise, database noise, initial error, and inertial navigation system device level. When the parameters are set according to the benchmark parameters and after about 10 h of simulation, the results show that the attitude error, velocity error, and position error of the gravity gradiometer aided navigation system are less than 1 arcmin, 0.1 m/s, and 33 m, respectively.

About Identification of Instrument Error Parameters for a Gravity Gradiometer

The article presents the description of two algorithms used for processing of the raw data of a gravity gradiometer. These algorithms are intended for estimation of some instrument errors. The first algorithm is applicable for the instrument operation in its stationary mode, the second proposes the use of a special test bench. Rotary gravity gradiometer of the accelerometric type was taken as a prototype for relevant mathematical models. Nowadays this type of gradiometer is brought to the stage of practical implementation and serial production.