Research on a dual-mass decoupled tuning fork micro-gyroscope

This paper presents the structure design of a dual-mass decoupled tuning fork micro-gyroscope(DDTFG). Two proof masses of the DDTFG are linked elastically not only in the drive mode but also in the sense mode and can be resonant driven simultaneously in in-phase and inverted-phase mode even if there is fabrication error. The mode distribution of the DDTFG is adjusted flexibly to optimize the acceleration sensitivity. The micro-gyroscope structure is designed and the operating principle is described detailedly. The structure parameters and the mode distribution of the DDTFG are optimized by Ansys simulation. The simulation results show that the improved lever support mechanism has suppressed effectively the rotation movement of the proof mass comparing to the general lever support mechanism. The DDTFG process is adopted for the fabrication of the micro-gyroscope structure. The prototype of the DDTFG with the discrete electronic components is implemented. Comparing the acceleration sensitivities with that of the prevenient micro-gyroscope, the maximum acceleration sensitivity decreases 3.18 times, which indicates that the mode optimization is viable.