Abstract

A toroidal accelerometer including a toroidal shaped housing having first and second oppositely disposed arcuate shaped electrodes and a third electrode which is a common electrode, all three electrodes being partially immersed in an electrolytic fluid and subject to differential wetting in accordance with the angle of tilt about a horizontal axis of rotation or axis of symmetry of the toroid. A fourth electrode positioned between the first and second electrodes, equi-distant from the third electrode is at all times completely immersed in the electrolytic fluid. Each of the first, second and fourth electrodes in combination with the third electrode define a conductance cell in which each electrode is coupled to an electronic circuit for providing a measurable electrical output signal in accordance with the angular tilt of the housing about the horizontal axis therethrough in which the output signal is temperature compensated in the electronic circuit by the variation in impedance of the conductance cell defined by the third and fourth electrodes.