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Special Issue "Rotation Rate Sensors and Their Applications"

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A special issue of Sensors (ISSN 1424-8220). This special issue belongs to the section "Physical Sensors".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (19 April 2021) | Viewed by 45064

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Special Issue Editors

Prof.Dr. Zbigniew Zembaty

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Guest Editor

Opole University of Technology, Poland,
Interests: Structural Health Monitoring; Seismic Engineering; Civil Engineering; Seismology; Random Vibrations

Dr. Felix Bernauer

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Guest Editor

Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Ludwig‐Maximilians‐University of Munich, Munich, Germany
Interests: geophysics; rotational seismology; sensors in seismology

Prof.Dr. Heiner Igel

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Guest Editor

Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Ludwig‐Maximilians‐University of Munich, Germany
Interests: Geophysics; seismology; exploration geophysics; seismotectonics and anisotropy; seismic inverse problems

Prof. Dr. Ulrich Schreiber

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor

Research Unit Satellite Geodesy, Technical University of Munich, Germany,
Interests: Sagnac Interferometry; inertial rotation rate sensing for space geodesy; rotational seismology, satellite and lunar laser ranging; optical time transfer; time and frequency in space geodesy

Special Issue Information

Rotation rate sensors are finding more and more applications in science and engineering, most prominently by serving for the control of vehicle or airplane motion. Functions in consumer electronics, such as smartphones and smartwatches are controlled with respect to their tilt. In modern seismology, the measurement of rotations about the vertical and horizontal axes is combined with classic displacement records, which has demonstrated many powerful applications. Even a small rocking motion of the foundations of tall buildings translates into substantial tip displacements. Furthermore, we are now in the position to obtain torsional motion from tall structures reliably. All these applications require various types of rotation rate sensors. From small MEMS gyros, over fiber-optic gyros and electrochemical devices to high resolution, large ring lasers. This Special Issue will collect papers on (inertial) rotation rate sensors and their applications, with particular attention paid to the novel areas of application in modern geophysics, civil and seismic engineering, as well as mechanical engineering and modern geodesy, including structural health monitoring.

Substantial progress in the technology of (inertial) rotation sensing has opened novel applications. The emerging field of rotational seismology is a good example of this development, applications in space geodesy and navigation are another. They rely on highly sensitive and stable sensors, which are very expensive. On the other hand, there are small and cheap sensors, which are neither stable nor sensitive but available in large numbers. We envisage contributions on sensor concepts and applications that outline achievements on all sides of this large application spectrum. We believe that collecting together papers on the design of rotation rate sensors with descriptions of their applications is well situated in the scope of the journal Sensors.

Prof. Zbigniew Zembaty
Dr. Felix Bernauer
Prof. Heiner Igel
Prof. Dr. Ulrich Schreiber
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

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Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

rotations
angular velocity
rotation rate sensors
inertial rotation sensing
measurements
vibrations of structures
structural health monitoring
seismology
waves
seismic ground motion
ground tilt
sagnac effect

Published Papers (20 papers)

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Editorial

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Open AccessEditorial

Rotation Rate Sensors and Their Applications

Zbigniew Zembaty

Felix Bernauer

Heiner Igel

and

Karl Ulrich Schreiber

Sensors 2021, 21(16), 5344; https://doi.org/10.3390/s21165344 - 07 Aug 2021

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1709

Abstract

Measurements of rotations are unique because of their inherent property making them absolute and without an external frame of reference [...] Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Rotation Rate Sensors and Their Applications)

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Research

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Open AccessArticle

Monitoring Local Earthquakes in Central Italy Using 4C Single Station Data

and

Sensors 2021, 21(13), 4297; https://doi.org/10.3390/s21134297 - 23 Jun 2021

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1492

Abstract

In this study, performed on a set of twenty-two earthquakes that occurred in central Italy between 2019 and 2020, we will explore the possibility to locate the hypocenter of local events by using a ring laser gyroscope observing the vertical ground rotation and a standard broadband seismometer. A picking algorithm exploiting the four components (4C) polarization properties of the wavefield is used to identify the first shear onset transversely polarized (SH). The wavefield direction is estimated by correlation between the vertical rotation rate and the transverse acceleration. The picked times for Pg and Sg onsets are compared to the ones obtained after manual revision on the GIGS station seismometer. The results are compared with the location provided by the national monitoring service of the INGV. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Rotation Rate Sensors and Their Applications)

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Open AccessArticle

Study of Rotational Motions Caused by Multiple Mining Blasts Recorded by Different Types of Rotational Seismometers

Krzysztof P. Teisseyre

Michał Dudek

Leszek R. Jaroszewicz

Anna T. Kurzych

and

Leopold Stempowski

Sensors 2021, 21(12), 4120; https://doi.org/10.3390/s21124120 - 15 Jun 2021

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 1290

Abstract

Digging two vertical shafts with the multiple blasts technique gave the opportunity to measure the induced angular motions in a horizontal plane with well-defined positions of sources. Three kinds of rotation rate sensors, sharing an underground location, were used. Two of them—a Fiber-Optic System for Rotational Events & phenomena Monitoring (FOSREM) and a prototypical seismometer housing the liquid-filled torus—sensed the rotation, while a microarray of two double-pendulum seismometers sensed both the rotation and symmetric strain. The FOSREM was sampled at 656.168 Hz, while all the others were only sampled at 100 Hz. There were considerable differences within the results gathered from the mining blasts, which should be attributed to two causes. The first one is the difference in principles of the operation and sampling rates of the devices used, while the other is the complex and spatially variable character of the studied wave fields. Additionally, we established that the liquid-filled sensor, due to its relatively low sensitivity, proved to be viable only during a registration of strong ground motions. Overall, a comparative study of three different rotational seismometers was performed during mining-induced strong ground motions with well-localized sources. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Rotation Rate Sensors and Their Applications)

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Open AccessCommunication

The Development of a New IFOG-Based 3C Rotational Seismometer

and

Sensors 2021, 21(11), 3899; https://doi.org/10.3390/s21113899 - 04 Jun 2021

Cited by 10 | Viewed by 1969

Abstract

For many years, seismological research mainly focuses on translational ground motions due to the lack of appropriate sensors. However, because of the development of devices based on Sagnac effect, measuring rotational waves directly comes available. In this work, a portable three-component broadband rotational seismometer named RotSensor3C based on open loop interferometric fiber optic gyroscope (IFOG) is designed and demonstrated. Laboratory tests and results are illustrated in detail. The self-noise ranging from 0.005 Hz to 125 Hz is about

1.2 \times 10^{- 7} {rads}^{- 1} / \sqrt{Hz}

, and with the harmonics compensation the scale factor variation over

\pm 250^{\circ} / s

is lower than 10 ppm (parts per million). The misalignment matrix method is adopted to revise the output rotation rate. In a special near field experiment using the explosive source, the back-azimuths and phase velocity are estimated by the recorded acceleration and rotation rate. All the results prove the practicability of this new rotational sensor. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Rotation Rate Sensors and Their Applications)

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Graphical abstract

Open AccessArticle

Characterization of Six-Degree-of-Freedom Sensors for Building Health Monitoring

Louisa Murray-Bergquist

Felix Bernauer

and

Heiner Igel

Sensors 2021, 21(11), 3732; https://doi.org/10.3390/s21113732 - 27 May 2021

Cited by 5 | Viewed by 2355

Abstract

Six-degree-of-freedom (6DoF) sensors measure translation along three axes and rotation around three axes. These collocated measurements make it possible to fully describe building motion without the need for an external reference point. This is an advantage for building health monitoring, which uses interstory drift and building eigenfrequencies to monitor stability. In this paper, IMU50 6DoF sensors are characterized to determine their suitability for building health monitoring. The sensors are calibrated using step table methods and by comparison with earth’s rotation and gravity. These methods are found to be comparable. The sensor’s self-noise is examined through the power spectral density and the Allan deviation of data recorded in a quiet environment. The effect of temperature variation is tested between 14 and 50

^{°}

C. It appears that the self-noise of the rotation components increases while the self-noise of the acceleration components decreases with temperature. The comparison of the sensor self-noise with ambient building signal and higher amplitude shaking shows that these sensors are in general not sensitive enough for ambient signal building health monitoring in the frequency domain, but could be useful for monitoring interstory drift and building motion during, for example, strong earthquake shaking in buildings similar to those examined here. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Rotation Rate Sensors and Their Applications)

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Open AccessArticle

Validation of Rayleigh Wave Theoretical Formulation with Single-Station Rotational Records of Mine Tremors in Lower Silesian Copper Basin

and

Sensors 2021, 21(10), 3566; https://doi.org/10.3390/s21103566 - 20 May 2021

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1811

Abstract

The classical Rayleigh surface rotational wave in terms of its theoretical notation and, resulting from this, properties associated with the induced seismic phenomena in mines are presented. This kind of seismic wave was analysed in-depth from the point of view of the parameters governing the form of its mathematical notation based on the similarity to the records obtained during the induced seismicity in near-field 6-DoF monitoring. Furthermore, conducted field measurements made it possible to relate the amount of the emitted seismic energy to the expected highest amplitude of rotational vibrations in the entire field of their impact on the rock mass. As a result, this made it possible to impose the completely defined R wave to the numerical models of given objects; the safety level, when subjected to the dynamic load induced by the rotational wave, would be an objective of the performed analyses. The conducted preliminary analyses were prepared for a plane strain state, for which the values of seismic rotations were evaluated concerning the energy and the distance of the seismic event’s source. As a result of the performed simulations, it was found that the results of the calculations matched with a satisfying degree with the field seismic measurements of the rotational ground motion induced by propagating the seismic wave. Such a verified analytical description of the theoretical formulas can be the basis for the implementation of R-wave characteristics into seismic codes and numerical analyses of object stability in the Lower Silesian Copper Basin region. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Rotation Rate Sensors and Their Applications)

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Open AccessArticle

Automated Quality Assessment of Interferometric Ring Laser Data

Andreas Brotzer

Felix Bernauer

Karl Ulrich Schreiber

Joachim Wassermann

and

Heiner Igel

Sensors 2021, 21(10), 3425; https://doi.org/10.3390/s21103425 - 14 May 2021

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1844

Abstract

In seismology, an increased effort to observe all 12 degrees of freedom of seismic ground motion by complementing translational ground motion observations with measurements of strain and rotational motions could be witnessed in recent decades, aiming at an enhanced probing and understanding of Earth and other planetary bodies. The evolution of optical instrumentation, in particular large-scale ring laser installations, such as G-ring and ROMY (ROtational Motion in seismologY), and their geoscientific application have contributed significantly to the emergence of this scientific field. The currently most advanced, large-scale ring laser array is ROMY, which is unprecedented in scale and design. As a heterolithic structure, ROMY’s ring laser components are subject to optical frequency drifts. Such Sagnac interferometers require new considerations and approaches concerning data acquisition, processing and quality assessment, compared to conventional, mechanical instrumentation. We present an automated approach to assess the data quality and the performance of a ring laser, based on characteristics of the interferometric Sagnac signal. The developed scheme is applied to ROMY data to detect compromised operation states and assign quality flags. When ROMY’s database becomes publicly accessible, this assessment will be employed to provide a quality control feature for data requests. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Rotation Rate Sensors and Their Applications)

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Open AccessArticle

Performance Test of the Rotational Sensor blueSeis-3A in a Huddle Test in Fürstenfeldbruck

and

Sensors 2021, 21(9), 3170; https://doi.org/10.3390/s21093170 - 03 May 2021

Cited by 5 | Viewed by 1840

Abstract

Rotational motions play a key role in measuring seismic wavefield properties. Using newly developed portable rotational instruments, it is now possible to directly measure rotational motions in a broad frequency range. Here, we investigated the instrumental self-noise and data quality in a huddle test in Fürstenfeldbruck, Germany, in August 2019. We compare the data from six rotational and three translational sensors. We studied the recorded signals using correlation, coherence analysis, and probabilistic power spectral densities. We sorted the coherent noise into five groups with respect to the similarities in frequency content and shape of the signals. These coherent noises were most likely caused by electrical devices, the dehumidifier system in the building, humans, and natural sources such as wind. We calculated self-noise levels through probabilistic power spectral densities and by applying the Sleeman method, a three-sensor method. Our results from both methods indicate that self-noise levels are stable between 0.5 and 40 Hz. Furthermore, we recorded the 29 August 2019

M_{L}

3.4 Dettingen earthquake. The calculated source directions are found to be realistic for all sensors in comparison to the real back azimuth. We conclude that the five tested blueSeis-3A rotational sensors, when compared with respect to coherent noise, self-noise, and source direction, provide reliable and consistent results. Hence, field experiments with single rotational sensors can be undertaken. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Rotation Rate Sensors and Their Applications)

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Open AccessArticle

Kalman Filter-Based Fusion of Collocated Acceleration, GNSS and Rotation Data for 6C Motion Tracking

and

Sensors 2021, 21(4), 1543; https://doi.org/10.3390/s21041543 - 23 Feb 2021

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 2525

Abstract

The ground motion of an earthquake or the ambient motion of a large engineered structure not only has translational motion, but it also includes rotation around all three axes. No current sensor can record all six components, while the fusion of individual instruments that could provide such recordings, such as accelerometers or Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) receivers, and rotational sensors, is non-trivial. We propose achieving such a fusion via a six-component (6C) Kalman filter (KF) that is suitable for structural monitoring applications, as well as earthquake monitoring. In order to develop and validate this methodology, we have set up an experimental case study, relying on the use of an industrial six-axis robot arm, on which the instruments are mounted. The robot simulates the structural motion resulting atop a wind-excited wind turbine tower. The quality of the 6C KF reconstruction is assessed by comparing the estimated response to the feedback system of the robot, which performed the experiments. The fusion of rotational information yields significant improvement for both the acceleration recordings but also the GNSS positions, as evidenced via the substantial reduction of the RMSE, expressed as the difference between the KF predictions and robot feedback. This work puts forth, for the first time, a KF-based fusion for all six motion components, validated against a high-precision ground truth measurement. The proposed filter formulation is able to exploit the strengths of each instrument and recover more precise motion estimates that can be exploited for multiple purposes. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Rotation Rate Sensors and Their Applications)

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Open AccessArticle

Rotaphone-CY: The Newest Rotaphone Model Design and Preliminary Results from Performance Tests with Active Seismic Sources

and

Sensors 2021, 21(2), 562; https://doi.org/10.3390/s21020562 - 14 Jan 2021

Cited by 6 | Viewed by 1524

Abstract

Rotaphone-CY is a six-component short-period seismograph that is capable of the co-located recording of three translational (ground velocity) components along three orthogonal axes and three rotational (rotation rate) components around the three axes in one device. It is a mechanical sensor system utilizing records from elemental sensors (geophones) arranged in parallel pairs to derive differential motions in the pairs. The pairs are attached to a rigid frame that is anchored to the ground. The model design, the latest one among various Rotaphone designs based on the same principle and presented elsewhere, is briefly introduced. The upgrades of the new model are a 32-bit A/D converter, a more precise placing of the geophones to parallel pairs and a better housing, which protects the instrument from external electromagnetic noise. The instrument is still in a developmental stage. It was tested in a field experiment that took place at the Geophysical Observatory in Fürstenfeldbruck (Germany) in November 2019. Four Rotaphones-CY underwent the huddle-testing phase of the experiment as well as the field-deployment phase, in which the instruments were installed in a small-aperture seismic array of a triangular shape. The preliminary results from this active-source experiment are shown. Rotaphone-CY data are verified, in part, by various approaches: mutual comparison of records from four independent Rotaphone-CY instruments, waveform matching according to rotation-to-translation relations, and comparison to array-derived rotations when applicable. The preliminary results are very promising and they suggest the good functionality of the Rotaphone-CY design. It has been proved that the present Rotaphone-CY model is a reliable instrument for measuring short-period seismic rotations of the amplitudes as small as 10

^{- 7}

rad/s. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Rotation Rate Sensors and Their Applications)

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Open AccessArticle

Rotation, Strain, and Translation Sensors Performance Tests with Active Seismic Sources

Sensors 2021, 21(1), 264; https://doi.org/10.3390/s21010264 - 03 Jan 2021

Cited by 22 | Viewed by 4057

Abstract

Interest in measuring displacement gradients, such as rotation and strain, is growing in many areas of geophysical research. This results in an urgent demand for reliable and field-deployable instruments measuring these quantities. In order to further establish a high-quality standard for rotation and strain measurements in seismology, we organized a comparative sensor test experiment that took place in November 2019 at the Geophysical Observatory of the Ludwig-Maximilians University Munich in Fürstenfeldbruck, Germany. More than 24 different sensors, including three-component and single-component broadband rotational seismometers, six-component strong-motion sensors and Rotaphone systems, as well as the large ring laser gyroscopes ROMY and a Distributed Acoustic Sensing system, were involved in addition to 14 classical broadband seismometers and a 160 channel, 4.5 Hz geophone chain. The experiment consisted of two parts: during the first part, the sensors were co-located in a huddle test recording self-noise and signals from small, nearby explosions. In a second part, the sensors were distributed into the field in various array configurations recording seismic signals that were generated by small amounts of explosive and a Vibroseis truck. This paper presents details on the experimental setup and a first sensor performance comparison focusing on sensor self-noise, signal-to-noise ratios, and waveform similarities for the rotation rate sensors. Most of the sensors show a high level of coherency and waveform similarity within a narrow frequency range between 10 Hz and 20 Hz for recordings from a nearby explosion signal. Sensor as well as experiment design are critically accessed revealing the great need for reliable reference sensors. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Rotation Rate Sensors and Their Applications)

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Open AccessCommunication

Comparing Direct Observation of Torsion with Array-Derived Rotation in Civil Engineering Structures

and

Sensors 2021, 21(1), 142; https://doi.org/10.3390/s21010142 - 28 Dec 2020

Cited by 7 | Viewed by 2264

Abstract

In this article, we analyze the rotation rates in a building derived from a network of translation sensors and recorded by a rotation sensor. The building is Grenoble city hall, a reinforced concrete structure with permanent accelerometric translation sensors at the top and bottom of the building. A temporary experiment was conducted, consisting in installing a BlueSeis-3A rotation sensor for more than 24 h at the top of the structure. The ambient vibrations were analyzed. The amplitudes of translation accelerations and rotation rates at the top and bottom of the building, along with their variations over time, were analyzed. The acceleration/rotation ratios were then compared with the impulse wave velocities derived from seismic interferometry by deconvolution between the top and bottom. Perspectives with regard to building imaging, time monitoring of structural integrity and understanding the contribution of rotations to the structure’s response are discussed, offering new suggestions for research projects. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Rotation Rate Sensors and Their Applications)

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Open AccessArticle

Precision Angle Measurement Systems on the Basis of Ring Laser Gyro

Yuri V. Filatov

Petr A. Pavlov

Alexander A. Velikoseltsev

and

K. Ulrich Schreiber

Sensors 2020, 20(23), 6930; https://doi.org/10.3390/s20236930 - 04 Dec 2020

Cited by 13 | Viewed by 2074

Abstract

The main application of a ring laser gyroscope is navigation. It is currently the most widely used device for strapdown inertial navigation systems. However, it is also applicable for high-precision angle metrology systems. This paper discusses the properties of a laser dynamic goniometer (LDG) based on the ring laser gyroscope and designed for the calibration of optical polygons and digital angle converters, and for the measurement of angles between external mirrors (theodolite operating mode). We consider the main sources of uncertainty, such as the ring laser gyro bias due to an external magnetic field and the instability caused by the velocity of rotation along with applicable methods of their compensation. The reversal method providing separation of uncertainties of the LDG and the calibrated angle converter is analyzed in detail. The simplified cross-calibration method is also considered. The results of calibration of optical encoders of various designs—with and without their own rotors (on-axis and off-axis in Euramet terminology)—are presented. Some results of the dynamic goniometer for the measurement of angles between external mirrors are presented. It is shown that the LDG in this mode of operation demonstrates better accuracy than modern theodolites and total stations. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Rotation Rate Sensors and Their Applications)

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Open AccessArticle

Near-Field Measurement of Six Degrees of Freedom Mining-Induced Tremors in Lower Silesian Copper Basin

Krzysztof Fuławka

Witold Pytel

and

Bogumiła Pałac-Walko

Sensors 2020, 20(23), 6801; https://doi.org/10.3390/s20236801 - 28 Nov 2020

Cited by 9 | Viewed by 1459

Abstract

The impact of seismicity on structures is one of the key problems of civil engineering. According to recent knowledge, the reliable analysis should be based on both rotational and translational components of the seismic wave. To determine the six degrees of freedom (6-DoF) characteristic of mining-induced seismicity, two sets of seismic posts were installed in the Lower Silesian Copper Basin, Poland. Long-term continuous 6-DoF measurements were conducted with the use of the R-1 rotational seismometer and EP-300 translational seismometer. In result data collection, the waveforms generated by 39 high-energy seismic events were recorded. The characteristic of the rotational component of the seismic waves were described in terms of their amplitude and frequency characteristics and were compared with translational measurements. The analysis indicated that the characteristic of the rotational component of the seismic wave differs significantly in comparison to translational ones, both in terms of their amplitude and frequency distribution. Also, attenuation of rotational and translational components was qualitatively compared. Finally, the empirical formulas for seismic rotation prediction in the Lower Silesian Copper Basin were developed and validated. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Rotation Rate Sensors and Their Applications)

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Open AccessArticle

Comparative Measurements of Local Seismic Rotations by Three Independent Methods

Johana Brokešová

and

Jiří Málek

Sensors 2020, 20(19), 5679; https://doi.org/10.3390/s20195679 - 05 Oct 2020

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 1767

Abstract

A comparative active experiment that is aimed at collocated measurement of seismic rotation rates along three orthogonal axes by means of three different methods is described. The rotation rates in a short-period range of 6–20 Hz were obtained using three different methods: the 6C Rotaphone sensor system developed by the authors, the commercial R-1 rotational sensor by Eentec, and a small-aperture array of twelve standard velocigraphs in a rectangular arrangement. Those three methods are compared and discussed in detail. A medium-size quarry blast was used as a seismic source. At a distance of approximately 240 m, the rotation rates reached an amplitude of the order of magnitude of 10

^{- 4}

–10

^{- 5}

rad/s. The array derived rotation rates displayed serious limitations, as clearly documented. The R-1 instruments have shown certain technical problems that partly limit their applicability. The measured rotation rates were compared to the relevant acceleration components according to rotation-to-translation relations. Out of all the three methods, the records best matching the acceleration components were made by Rotaphone. The experiment also revealed that rotation rates in the given short-period range noticeably changed over a distance as short as 2 m. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Rotation Rate Sensors and Their Applications)

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Open AccessArticle

Noise Analysis of a Passive Resonant Laser Gyroscope

Karl Ulrich Schreiber

Zehuang Lu

and

Jie Zhang

Sensors 2020, 20(18), 5369; https://doi.org/10.3390/s20185369 - 19 Sep 2020

Cited by 8 | Viewed by 2175

Abstract

Large-scale laser gyroscopes have found important applications in Earth sciences due to their self-sufficient property of measurement of the Earth’s rotation without any external references. In order to extend the relative rotation measurement accuracy to a better level so that it can be used for the determination of the Earth orientation parameters (EOP), we investigate the limitations in a passive resonant laser gyroscope (PRG) developed at Huazhong University of Science and Technology (HUST) to pave the way for future development. We identify the noise sources from the derived noise transfer function of the PRG. In the frequency range below

10^{- 2} Hz

, the contribution of free-spectral-range (FSR) variation is the dominant limitation, which comes from the drift of the ring cavity length. In the

10^{- 2}

10^{3} Hz

frequency range, the limitation is due to the noises of the frequency discrimination system, which mainly comes from the residual amplitude modulation (RAM) in the frequency range below 2 Hz. In addition, the noise contributed by the Mach–Zehnder-type beam combiner is also noticeable in the 0.01 to 2 Hz frequency range. Finally, possible schemes for future improvement are also discussed. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Rotation Rate Sensors and Their Applications)

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Open AccessArticle

Application of Rotation Rate Sensors in Modal and Vibration Analyses of Reinforced Concrete Beams

and

Sensors 2020, 20(17), 4711; https://doi.org/10.3390/s20174711 - 20 Aug 2020

Cited by 13 | Viewed by 2244

Abstract

The recent rapid development of rotation rate sensor technology opens new opportunities for their application in more and more fields. In this paper, the potential of rotational sensors for the modal analysis of full-scale civil engineering structural elements is experimentally examined. For this purpose, vibrations of two 6-m long beams made of ultra-high performance concrete (UHPC) were measured using microelectromechanical system (MEMS) rotation rate sensors. The beams were excited to vibrations using an impact hammer and a dynamic vibration exciter. The results of the experiment show that by using rotation rate sensors, one can directly obtain derivatives of mode shapes and deflection shapes. These derivatives of mode shapes, often called “rotational modes”, bring more information regarding possible local stiffness variations than the traditional transversal and deflection mode shapes, so their extraction during structural health monitoring is particularly useful. Previously, the rotational modes could only be obtained indirectly (e.g., by central difference approximation). Here, with the application of rotation rate sensors, one can obtain rotational modes and deflection shapes with a higher precision. Furthermore, the average strain rate and dynamic strain were acquired using the rotation rate sensors. The laboratory experiments demonstrated that rotation rate sensors were matured enough to be used in the monitoring and modal analyses of full-scale civil engineering elements (e.g., reinforced concrete beams). Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Rotation Rate Sensors and Their Applications)

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Review

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Open AccessReview

The Torsional Response of Civil Engineering Structures during Earthquake from an Observational Point of View

Philippe Guéguen

and

Ariana Astorga

Sensors 2021, 21(2), 342; https://doi.org/10.3390/s21020342 - 06 Jan 2021

Cited by 10 | Viewed by 3087

Abstract

This paper discusses the origins of torsion and its effect on the response of structures with a focus on the contribution of experimental data. The fact that torsion increases the stresses in structures, augmenting strain and damage during earthquakes, was confirmed in the 1960s. Over the years, the torsional response of structures has mainly been analysed through numerical studies, because few buildings are equipped with translational sensors, and even fewer are equipped with rotational sensors. This is likely to change as building instrumentation becomes more widespread and new generations of rotational sensors are developed. Therefore, this paper focusses on a number of scientific questions concerning the rotational response of structures during earthquakes and the contribution of experimental data to the understanding of this phenomenon. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Rotation Rate Sensors and Their Applications)

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Open AccessReview

Seismological Processing of Six Degree-of-Freedom Ground-Motion Data

and

Johan O. A. Robertsson

Sensors 2020, 20(23), 6904; https://doi.org/10.3390/s20236904 - 03 Dec 2020

Cited by 26 | Viewed by 3142

Abstract

Recent progress in rotational sensor technology has made it possible to directly measure rotational ground-motion induced by seismic waves. When combined with conventional inertial seismometer recordings, the new sensors allow one to locally observe six degrees of freedom (6DOF) of ground-motion, composed of three orthogonal components of translational motion and three orthogonal components of rotational motion. The applications of such 6DOF measurements are manifold—ranging from wavefield characterization, separation, and reconstruction to the reduction of non-uniqueness in seismic inverse problems—and have the potential to revolutionize the way seismic data are acquired and processed. However, the seismological community has yet to embrace rotational ground-motion as a new observable. The aim of this paper is to give a high-level introduction into the field of 6DOF seismology using illustrative examples and to summarize recent progress made in this relatively young field. It is intended for readers with a general background in seismology. In order to illustrate the seismological value of rotational ground-motion data, we provide the first-ever 6DOF processing example of a teleseismic earthquake recorded on a multicomponent ring laser observatory and demonstrate how wave parameters (phase velocity, propagation direction, and ellipticity angle) and wave types of multiple phases can be automatically estimated using single-station 6DOF processing tools. Python codes to reproduce this processing example are provided in an accompanying Jupyter notebook. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Rotation Rate Sensors and Their Applications)

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Other

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Open AccessLetter

Measurements of Rotational Events Generated by Artificial Explosions and External Excitations Using the Optical Fiber Sensors Network

Anna T. Kurzych

Leszek R. Jaroszewicz

and

Sensors 2020, 20(21), 6107; https://doi.org/10.3390/s20216107 - 27 Oct 2020

Cited by 7 | Viewed by 1799

Abstract

Measurements of artificial events can substantially confirm the data validity of constructed rotational sensors, as well as provide methods for simplifying the measurement process. The above task, especially with international cooperation, can provide full-field measurement results of the target object, which can deliver more significant data and sensor properties. The paper presents vertical rotational velocity recordings gathered during an international experiment that took place at the Geophysical Observatory of the Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich in Fürstenfeldbruck, Germany. Data were obtained during artificial explosions, as well as external excitations induced by a VibroSeis truck. The authors present data recorded by two prototypes of optical fiber rotational sensors. They have been specially designed for rotational seismology needs and are characterized by a theoretical sensitivity equal to 2 × 10⁻⁸ rad/s/√Hz and a wide measuring range both in amplitude even up to 10 rad/s, and a frequency from DC to 1000 Hz. Their self-noise investigation during the aforementioned experiment showed that both sensors have precision no worse than 2 × 10⁻⁶ rad/s/sqrt (Hz) in all desired frequency range from 0.01 to 100 Hz. A down-sampling and a spectral analysis of the recorded signals are also presented. The recorded data and their analysis confirmed the performance and reliability of the applied optical fiber rotational sensors. Moreover, the presented international experiment underlines a special necessity for specifying the sensors’ performance test methodologies in the rotational seismology. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Rotation Rate Sensors and Their Applications)

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