Circuit and numerical modeling of electrostatic discharge generators

This paper provides two accurate and efficient models of electrostatic discharge generators which permit to reproduce the discharge current in the contact mode, taking into account the load effect. The first model is based on a circuit approach and is suitable to be implemented in any commercial circuit simulator. The second model is based on the numerical solution of the field equations by using the commercial numerical-code microwave studio based on the finite-integration technique. The validation of the proposed circuit and numerical models is carried out by comparison with measurements

Electrostatic Gas-Liquid Separation from High Speed Streams--Application to Advanced On-Line/On- Demand Separation Techniques

The separation of suspended droplets from gases has been one of the basic scientific and technical problems of the industrial era and this interest continues. Various industrial applications, such as refrigeration and HVAC systems, require control of fine droplets concentrations in moving gaseous mediums to maintain system functionality and efficiency. Separating of such fine droplets can be achieved using electrostatic charging as implemented in electrostatic precipitators (ESPs). They use electrostatic force to charge and collect solid particles. The objective of the present work was to study the feasibility of using wiretube electrostatic separator on the removal of fine water and oil droplets from air stream based on corona discharge ionization process. A parametric study was conducted to find key parameters affecting the separation process. This goal was approached by simulating the charging and separation phenomena numerically, and then verifying the modeling findings through experiments. The numerical methodology simulated the highly complex interaction between droplets suspended in the flow and electrical field. Two test rigs were constructed, one for air-water separation and the other for air-oil separation. A wiretube electrostatic separator was used as the test section for both test rigs. The separation performance was evaluated under different electric field and flow conditions. Finally, based on the results, a novel air-water separator prototype was designed, fabricated and tested. The numerical modeling results qualitatively showed acceptable agreement with the experimental data in terms of the trend of grade efficiency based on droplets size. Both numerical modeling results and experimental data showed that with a proper separator design, high separation efficiency is achievable for water and oil droplets. Based on the experimental data, at flow velocity of 5 m/s and applied voltage of 7.0 kV, the maximum separation efficiency for water and oil was 99.999 % and 96.267 %, respectively. The pressure drop was as low as 100 Pa and maximum power consumption was 12.0 W

System and IC level analysis of electrostatic discharge (ESD) and electrical fast transient (EFT) immunity and associated coupling mechanisms

The exposure of electronic circuits to lightning, electrostatic discharge (ESD), electrical fast transients (EFT) or sine wave signals can reveal RF immunity problems. Typical problems include temporary malfunctions or permanent damage of integrated circuits (ICs). In an effort to reproduce those disturbances, a series of electromagnetic compatibility standards has been developed. However, a complete understanding of the root cause of the immunity problems has yet to be established. This dissertation discusses immunity problems in three papers, starting at the system level, via the coupling path into the IC --Abstract, page iv

Characterization and modeling of ESD events, risk and protection

“The ESD (Electrostatic discharge) failures have been raising critical reliability problems in electronic devices design. However, not all the ESD scenarios have been specified by the IEC standard and the characterizations of the ESD risk for different scenarios are essential to evaluate the ESD robustness of the devices in the real word. The insulation of plastic enclosures provides protection against ESD to the electronic system inside. However, seams between plastic parts are often unavoidable. Different plastic arrangements are constructed to investigate the spark length and current derivatives and to understand the ESD spark behavior for geometries having spark lengths longer than the values predicted by Paschen’s law. For the wearable devices, the core difference between the posture assumed for IEC 61000-4-2 human metal discharge and a discharge to a wearable device is the impedance between the charged body and the grounded structure discharged to. The results show that the current measured in the brush-by scenario can reach values twice as high as the current specified in the IEC standard. A simulation model using the measured impedance and Rompe and Weizel’s law provides predictions on the peak current derivative when the spark length is varied. The increasing peak current derivative with shorter spark length indicates stronger field coupling to the devices. SEED(System-efficient ESD design) modeling helps the designer to predict the ESD risk at the early stage, an accurate TVS model can be used to study the transient response of the external TVS and the on-chip protection when applied in a typical high-speed input/output (I/O) interface”--Abstract, page iv

Fog dispersion

The concept of using the charged particle technique to disperse warm fog at airports is investigated and compared with other techniques. The charged particle technique shows potential for warm fog dispersal, but experimental verification of several significant parameters, such as particle mobility and charge density, is needed. Seeding and helicopter downwash techniques are also effective for warm fog disperals, but presently are not believed to be viable techniques for routine airport operations. Thermal systems are currently used at a few overseas airports; however, they are expensive and pose potential environmental problems

A Tesla-Blumlein PFL-Bipolar pulsed power generator

A Tesla-Blumlein PFL-Bipolar pulsed power generator, has been successfully designed, manufactured and demonstrated. The compact Tesla transformer that it employs has successfully charged capacitive loads to peak voltages up to 0.6 MV with an overall energy efficiency in excess of 90%. The Tesla driven Blumlein PFL generator is capable of producing a voltage impulse approaching 0.6 MV with a rise time close to 2 ns, generating a peak electrical power of up to 10 GW for 5 ns when connected to a 30 Ω resistive load. Potentially for medical application, a bipolar former has been designed and successfully implemented as an extension to the system and to enable the generation of a sinusoid-like voltage impulse with a peak-to-peak value reaching 650 kV and having a frequency bandwidth beyond 1 GHz. This thesis describes the application of various numerical techniques used to design a successful generator, such as filamentary modelling, electrostatic and transient (PSpice) circuit analysis, and Computer Simulation Technology (CST) simulation. All the major parameters of both the Tesla transformer, the Blumlein pulse forming line and the bipolar former were determined, enabling accurate modelling of the overall unit to be performed. The wide bandwidth and ultrafast embedded sensors used to monitor the dynamic characteristics of the overall system are also presented. Experimental results obtained during this major experimental programme are compared with theoretical predictions and the way ahead towards connecting to an antenna for medical application is considered

Ultrahigh vacuum gauges

002704620 Ionization gauges exclusively are used for ultrahigh vacuum. After a brief history, the design, use, and accuracy of ionization gauges will be described in this article

ESD Excitation Model for Susceptibility Study

The paper provides a simplified model of a known ESD generator that allows modeling the ESD impulses (current and fields) in CST-Microwave Studio. The model is suitable for simulating the excitation of structures by ESD, but it is not intended to predict the fields and current of an ESD generator for its development purpose. The aim is to simultaneously model the ESD generator and a susceptible structure with as few details as possible but to obtain as good a match on current and fields as possible

Proof of principle non-invasive pulsed electric field study (measurement and experiments)

Pulsed electric field (PEF) technology applied to food processing was firstly used in the late 1960s. The currently available systems use either conventional Blumlein generators or generators similar to those found in radar power sources to produce the required high voltage pulses. The liquid to be processed is passed through a number of treatment chambers or cells which each contain a pair of electrodes in contact with the liquid. An electric field is thereby applied to the liquid, leading to the technology being termed invasive and it can be used only with liquid food. A novel and non-invasive PEF technology for use in the food processing industry is introduced and investigated in this thesis. The technology represents a novel way of performing PEF treatment. A proof of concept arrangement uses two ceramic cylinders mounted inside the non-invasive PEF cell with a gap of 3 mm between them. A displacement current of the order of mA passes through the non-invasive PEF cell during treatment, as compared with the kA of current usually produced during an invasive treatment. The low current is not only economic in electric energy but also maintains a low food temperature, which implicitly maintains food flavour. In the thesis the electro-optic Kerr effect technique is used to perform accurately the PEF measurement and convincingly prove that strong electric fields are present. Two Kerr water cells were designed and used to determine the Kerr constant for water, since the data presented in the literature is unreliable. The first Kerr water cell uses a pair of Bruce profile stainless steel electrodes and the second a pair of parallel plate stainless steel electrodes. An electro-static solver (Maxwell software) was used to determine the electric field distribution and to calculate the electric field integral to accurately determine the Kerr constant for water. Water samples containing the E-coli bacteria were prepared and filled in the non-invasive PEF cell by the Flavometrix Company. Eight PEF experiments were successfully performed during this research programme and the results show unequivocally that the novel noninvasive technique is effective in significantly reducing the initial concentration of E-coli bacteria. This opens the door for the future design of an industrial prototyp