GYRO COMPASS - Capt Sushil Bhan FOSMA So this gyro compass, if the earth were not

rotating would point in whatever direction we

Gyroscopic inertia is a property of a flywheel wanted, However the earth rotates and hence
rotating at` a very high RPM which gives it although the gyro is rigidly pointing in one
angular velocity. direction. but with reference to the north pole,
its direction drifts and this is called
All the weight of the flywheel is concentrated “DRIFTING” and something that we need to
in the rim and hence it gives the flywheel a eradicate if we want our gyro flywheel to act
high moment of inertia. as a gyro compass.This drifting is taking place
in the azimuth plane or plane parallel to the
These two combined ie the Angular Velocity x surface of the earth,
Moment of inertia give the flywheel a high Rate of Drift in degrees per hour = 15x sin Latitude
Angular Momentum and this angular Also earth’s rotation causes the gyro axis to
momentum gives a rotating flywheel the ability tilt up and down vertically and this is called
to acquire high directional stability. TILT and also some thing we need to
eradicate if we are to make our gyroscope into
a gyro compass.
Rate of tilting in degrees per hour = 15 O sine Azimuth * cosine Latitude
This directional stability of a rotating flywheel Now we use the second property of the
is called “ rigidity in space “ and a property gyroscope to eradicate the DRIFT and TILT
utilised by a gyro compass. NORTH and this property is called PRECESSION.

To the left are 4 figures of a free gyroscope

where the axle is pointing north south. IN
Figure 1 as we apply a tilting force on axle
ends the gyro responds by rotating
horizontally in a clockwise direction ie it
NORTH
precesses.

In figure 2, if we apply a tilt force on xle end

depressing the north end, we get precession
that makes the gyro rotation plane take an
anticlockwise rotation in the horizontal plane,
ie it precesses.
NORTH
In figure 3, if we force the north axle end
towards west the gyro tilts towards south, ie it
precesses.

NORTH In figure 4, if we apply eastward force on the

axle north end we have the gyro tilt
northwards, ie it precesses.

By use of a gyro’s precision property we are

able to control its DRFIT and TILT due to earth
rotation so that our gyro remains pointing
north in azimuth and remains parallel to the
earth surface or have zero TILT.
GYRO COMPASS - Capt Sushil Bhan FOSMA

The free gyroscope

above is shown only to
convey that the flywheel
has 3 degrees of
freedom.
Real gyrocompasses
have their flywheel
vertical to earth surface.
Mechanical
gyrocompasses,
before the era of
electronics used
innovative means to
imply precision forces
to correct for DRIFT
& TILT.

The forces acting on

a gyrocompass are :
Rotation of Earth &
Earth Garvity and the
precession innovation
utilised these
constant rate of
rotation and gravity to
create north facing
gyrocompasses.