Abstract
In this paper, an electric field sensor (EFS) with high sensitivity is proposed for low-frequency weak-strength ac electric field (E-field) measurements. The EFS is based on a piezoelectric cantilever biased by a strong electrostatic field. The electrostatic bias can enhance the electric field force of a weak ac E-field, thus the cantilever can oscillate in a weak ac E-field and the device sensitivity improves. Theoretical analyses have been established and suggest that a stronger strength of electrostatic field bias would produce a higher sensitivity improvement. In the experiment, a demonstrated sensor consisting of a polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) piezoelectric cantilever and a polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) electret was built and tested. Instead of extra voltage sources, the PTFE electret was charged to provide the electrostatic field, allowing the EFS a low energy consumption and a simple electric circuit design. The experiment results show good agreement with the simulation. The sensitivity of the cantilever E-field sensor reached 0.84 mV (kV/m)−1 when the surface potential of the electret was −770 V.
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Disclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.