LESSON 2

INERTIAL NAVIGATION SYSTEMS/

INERTIAL REFERENCE SYSTEMS

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• An INS/IRS is a self contained system that
does not require input radio signals from a
ground navigation facility or transmitter.
• The IRS designation is generally reserved for
more modern systems, INS being the older.
2.1 INS: INERTIAL NAVIGATION SYSTEMS (STABILIZED INERTIAL PLATFORM)

2.1.1 BASIC PRINCIPLES

• The system derives attitude, velocity, and direction information
from measurement of the aircraft’s accelerations given a
known starting point (initializing).
• The location of the aircraft is continuously updated through
calculations based on the forces experienced by INS
accelerometers.
• A minimum of two accelerometers is used, one referenced to
north, and the other referenced to east.

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Accelerometer measurement
• These acceleration measuring devices sense
any change in the aircraft’s velocity either as
an acceleration or deceleration very
accurately.
• Once aligned, INS supplies both navigation
and attitude information:
• Geographic location of the aircraft
• Ground speed
• True track
• Aircraft attitude
• True heading
• Wind data
Stabilized Platform
2.1.2 DESIGN

• An INS uses complex calculation made by an INS

computer to convert applied forces into location
information.
• An interface control head is used to enter starting
location position data while the aircraft is stationary
on the ground. This is called initializing.
• From then on, all motion of the aircraft is sensed by
the built-in accelerometers and run through the
computer.
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Initial alignment of an INS platform before the flight
• To navigate using INS, the platform first needs
to be initialized and aligned.
Initialization: is an external initial position input
(from GPS position, or manual coordinate
entry by crew)
• Based on this value, alignment begins.
Alignment: is leveling the gimballed platform
to the local horizontal.
• This is done by changing the platform
attitude to where accelerometers sense
ZERO gravity value.
• Aircraft should be in a fixed position while
aligning.
• This takes minimum of 17-20 minutes.
• Through the flight, to maintain the already
aligned platform, certain corrections have to
be applied:
• Earth’s rotation
• Earth’s ellipsoid shape
• Aircraft’s movement over earth’s surface
• Aircraft’s altitude (varies arc minute)
2.1.2 ERRORS

• Feedback and correction loops are used to

correct for accumulated error as flight time
progresses.
• Accumulated error of less than one mile
after one hour of flight is possible.
• A latitude/longitude coordinate system is
used when giving the location output.

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2.1.2 ERRORS

• All INS have a drift-rate error, which

accumulates during usage.
• The error ranges from about 1 mi of error for
each hour of operation to 10mi error for
every 10hr operation.
• The newer strap-down system (IRS) has a lower
drift-rate error.
• To compensate for this error, all INS require a
periodic update from another navigation12 source.
• INS is integrated into an airliner’s flight
management system (FMS) and automatic flight
control system (AFCS).
• Waypoints can be entered for a predetermined
flight path and the INS will guide the aircraft to
each waypoint in succession.

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Mechanical gyros
o INS uses mechanical gyro as attitude and
heading sensing units.
o They provide the pilot with critical attitude and
directional information
o Three of the most common flight instruments,
the attitude indicator, heading indicator, and
turn needle of the turn-and bank indicator,
are controlled by gyroscopes.
o It is comprised of a wheel or rotor with its mass
concentrated around its perimeter.
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Rigidity
• When the rotor is rotated at a high speed, the gyro
exhibits a couple of unique characteristics.
• The first is called gyroscopic rigidity. This means
that the rotor of a free gyro always points in the same
direction no matter which way the base (platform) of
the gyro is positioned.
• This character is exploited in the attitude-indicating
instruments and the directional indicators that use
gyros.

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precession
• Precession is a second important
characteristic of gyroscopes.
• For an applied force, it responds as though
the force was applied 90° around in the
direction of rotation of the gyro rotor. The
gyro rotates rather than tilts.
• This character is utilized in a turn and bank
instrument
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2.2 IRS : INERTIA REFERENCE SYSTEM (STRAPPED-DOWN)

2.2.1 BASIC PRINCIPLES

• Modern INS systems are known as IRS. They are completely

solid-state units with no moving parts.
• Three ring laser gyros replace the mechanical gyros in the
older INS platform systems.
• This eliminates precession and other mechanical gyro
shortcomings.
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The IR processor calculates
these IR data values:
- Pitch
- Roll
- Yaw
- Latitude
- Longitude
- True heading
- Magnetic heading
- Inertial velocity vectors
- Linear accelerations
- Angular rates
- Track angle
- Wind speed and direction
- Inertial altitude
- Vertical speed and acceleration
- Ground speed
- Drift angle
- Flight path angle and acceleration.
Operation of RLG
• The light wavelengths compress or expand to
complete travel around the loop as the loop
changes its effective length.
• As the wavelengths change, the frequencies
also change
• By examining the difference in the frequencies
of the two counter-rotating beams of light, the
rate at which the path is rotating can be
measured.
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Advantages of RLGs
• RLGs are very rugged and have a long service
life with virtually no maintenance due to their lack
of moving parts.
• They measure movement about an axis extremely
quickly and provide continuous output.
• They are extremely accurate and generally are
considered superior to mechanical gyroscopes.

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Accelerometers
• The use of three solid-state accelerometers, one for
each plane of movement, also increases accuracy.
• The accelerometer and gyro output are input to the
computer for continuous calculation of the aircraft’s
position.

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• The most modern IRS integrate is the satellite GPS.
• The GPS is extremely accurate in itself. When
combined with IRS, it creates one of the most
accurate navigation systems available.
• The GPS is used to initialize the IRS so the pilot no
longer needs to do so.
• GPS also feeds data into the IRS computer to be
used for error correction.
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• The IRS functions continuously and is completely
self contained within the IRS unit.
• Should the GPS falter (lose strength), the IRS portion
of the system continues without it.
• The latest electronic technology has reduced the
size and weight of INS/IRS avionics units
significantly.

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IRS alignment and correction
• Although rigidly fixed to the aircraft, it has to be
aligned before the flight.
• But, the Virtual Platform is generated by the
computer (no physical orientation changed).
• A high-performance computer uses the data of RLG
and accelerometer to generate virtual platform
using a software, where aircraft position is related to
the level position.
• This should be done with the aircraft in a fixed
position.
• This reduces alignment time from 20 min to 10 min.
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THANK YOU!!!

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