TY - GEN
T1 - Effect of Humidity on Charge Decay in Varying Atmospheric Gases
AU - Cardenas, Zachary
AU - Esser, Ben
AU - Aponte, Ivan
AU - Dickens, James
AU - Mankowski, John
AU - Stephens, Jacob
AU - Friesen, Donald
AU - Nelson, Crystal
AU - Koone, Neil
AU - Hattz, David
AU - Neuber, Andreas
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2021 IEEE.
PY - 2021
Y1 - 2021
N2 - Characterization of surface charge decay for varying materials-PTFE, Acrylic, and metals-of 100 mm diameter, radially symmetric bodies was performed. In a gaseous environment, charged materials will lose their charge depending on gas type, humidity, and other environmental factors. Eventually, the charge will be (1) neutralized by ions or electrons in the surrounding gas (2) distributed by conduction on the material surface or in its volume (3) or neutralized by ions or electrons in the material surface and volume. Metal and polymer samples are charged to a known potential in the tens of kilovolts range, and the decaying voltage is monitored with a non-contact probe until the potential reaches near zero. Humidity has an impact on both groups of materials. As a baseline, in air at 42% relative humidity in an enclosed chamber, a positive charge equivalent to 20 kV potential on a metal sphere of 50 mm radius decays to near zero within 25 minutes. In contrast, the same sphere negatively charged decays slightly faster within 20 minutes. Overall, the humidity has a significant effect on the charge decay time, such that an order of magnitude longer times (hours) are observed at low humidity. Effects of chamber size were also studied, drawing a connection to charge carriers in the air available for decay, with chambers of volume(s): 3.3 105 cm3 and 1.4 106 cm3, respectively.
AB - Characterization of surface charge decay for varying materials-PTFE, Acrylic, and metals-of 100 mm diameter, radially symmetric bodies was performed. In a gaseous environment, charged materials will lose their charge depending on gas type, humidity, and other environmental factors. Eventually, the charge will be (1) neutralized by ions or electrons in the surrounding gas (2) distributed by conduction on the material surface or in its volume (3) or neutralized by ions or electrons in the material surface and volume. Metal and polymer samples are charged to a known potential in the tens of kilovolts range, and the decaying voltage is monitored with a non-contact probe until the potential reaches near zero. Humidity has an impact on both groups of materials. As a baseline, in air at 42% relative humidity in an enclosed chamber, a positive charge equivalent to 20 kV potential on a metal sphere of 50 mm radius decays to near zero within 25 minutes. In contrast, the same sphere negatively charged decays slightly faster within 20 minutes. Overall, the humidity has a significant effect on the charge decay time, such that an order of magnitude longer times (hours) are observed at low humidity. Effects of chamber size were also studied, drawing a connection to charge carriers in the air available for decay, with chambers of volume(s): 3.3 105 cm3 and 1.4 106 cm3, respectively.
KW - Charge decay
KW - charge carriers
KW - dielectric surface charge
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85127249412&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1109/PPC40517.2021.9733134
DO - 10.1109/PPC40517.2021.9733134
M3 - Conference contribution
AN - SCOPUS:85127249412
T3 - IEEE International Pulsed Power Conference
BT - 2021 IEEE Pulsed Power Conference, PPC 2021
PB - Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers Inc.
T2 - 2021 IEEE Pulsed Power Conference, PPC 2021
Y2 - 12 December 2021 through 16 December 2021
ER -