Human Centrifuges in Research and Training

Abstract

The use of centrifuges for human research has been reported for almost 200 years. Centrifuges have been used for research, medical treatment, and training of flight crew. These centrifuges have been designed and built in a variety of configurations with arms as short as 1.5 m and as long as 15 m. Acceleration on a centrifuge is usually measured in Gs which is the acceleration divided by the standard acceleration of gravity. The forces encountered in a centrifuge are the simple application of Newton's Three Laws of Motion. Axes have been defined for G vectors in relation to the human body. These are designated Z (aligned with the spine), Y (left to right), and X (front to back). Most research and training is in Gz and there are two methods of maintaining alignment with that axis. The USAF is examining the possibility of building a large radius centrifuges (200 m or larger) on a track to avoid the inertia of such a long arm. This type of machine could have advantages over the conventional centrifuge.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Jan 01, 1991
Accession Number
ADA236267

Entities

People

  • Larry J. Meeker

Organizations

  • Armstrong Laboratory

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Air Platforms
  • Biomedical

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Aircrafts
  • Aviation Accidents
  • Center Of Gravity
  • Centrifuges
  • Ejection Seats
  • Fighter Aircraft
  • Flight Crews
  • Flight Simulators
  • Gravity
  • High Acceleration
  • Human Body
  • Jet Aircraft
  • Simulators
  • Standards
  • Training
  • United States
  • Vehicles

Readers

  • Brain and Cognitive Science; Experimental Psychology; Cognitive Neuroscience
  • Control Systems Engineering.