A Next Generation Electrodynamic Shaker for the Primary Calibration of Accelerometers

Published

September 1, 2010

Author(s)

Beverly F. Payne, Kari K. Harper

Abstract

A shaker system was designed to allow direct primary calibration of accelerometers using both reciprocity and interferometer techniques over the frequency range 40 Hz to 10,000 Hz. The system use dual magnets and a dual-coil moving element. The design uses damped flexures to support the moving element. The dual-coil feature eliminates the need for an additional shaker for reciprocity calibrations. Two shaker systems were constructed and installed. One was installed at NIST. The second calibration system was installed in the USAF primary calibration laboratory, Heath, OH to establish a primary calibration facility for the USAF. Inter-comparison calibrations were performed on the shakers to verify that both systems are operating within calculated uncertainty limits.

Citation

NIST Interagency/Internal Report (NISTIR) - 7724

Report Number

7724

NIST Pub Series

NIST Interagency/Internal Report (NISTIR)

Pub Type

NIST Pubs

Download Paper

Local Download

Keywords

accelerometer, calibration, Super Shaker, fringe-counting, minimum-point, shaker, sine-approximation, reciprocity

Citation

Payne, B. and Harper, K. (2010), A Next Generation Electrodynamic Shaker for the Primary Calibration of Accelerometers, NIST Interagency/Internal Report (NISTIR), National Institute of Standards and Technology, Gaithersburg, MD, [online], https://tsapps.nist.gov/publication/get_pdf.cfm?pub_id=906791 (Accessed October 10, 2025)