AWARDEE OF TECHNOLOGICAL SCIENCES PRIZE

LU YUANJIU

Abstract

Lu Yuanjiu, an expert in gyroscopes and inertial navigation, was born in Anhwei on 9th Jan. 1920. He graduated from the Aeronautical Department, National Central University in 1941 and received his Sc.D. from Massachusetts Institute of Technology USA in 1949. He worked as a research associate at MIT and a principal research engineer at Ford Motor Co.. After his returning to China in 1956, he worked as a research fellow in the Institute of Automation of the Chinese Academy of Sciences. Beginning from 1968, he worked in different divisions of the aerospace industry and served, at different times, as research fellow, institute director and chief engineer. He was a council member and now is an advisor of the Sciences and Technology Committee of China Aerospace Corp.. He was elected an academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences in 1980, an academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering in 1994 and an academician of the International Academy of Astronautics in 1985.
Since 1968, his major work has been in the field of gyroscopes and inertial navigation. He directed the research and development of the first inertial platform consisting of liquid floated gyroscopes and accelerometers. According to various mission requirements, he suggested the development of both inertial platform systems and strapped-down systems, which have been successfully used in many applications.
For improving the performances of inertial devices, Lu Yuanjiu started and participated in the developments of liquid floated bearing, hydrostatic bearing, high speed gas bearing, magnetic suspension etc.. He also solved some of the problems relating to the application of inertial grade beryllium alloy to gyroscopes. Through these efforts, the precision of inertial instruments has been improved by three order of magnitude as compared with the corresponding cases of the early sixties. He also directed the design of the first large high precision centrifuge in China, started the establishment of an inertial testing center and joined in the designs of some major testing equipments.
His book“principles of Gyroscopes and Inertial Navigation”was published in 1964. Summarizing the experiences of 30 years in developing precision inertial instruments, he, being the chief editor, finished the book“Inertial Devices”in two volumes, published in 1990 and 1991 successively.