Deconvolution without calibration measurement of multi-peak charge distributions in dielectric materials

Abstract

The electrical and mechanical properties of a dielectric material are significantly influenced by its charge distribution, necessitating an understanding of how charge accumulation occurs in order to determine the suitability of use for specific applications. This research presents a novel approach to deconvolving charge distributions with multiple peaks while dispensing with calibration measurement required by the non-contact pulsed electro-acoustic technique. Unlike traditional deconvolution methods that rely on reference signal measurements, the proposed approach reconstructs the charge distribution through parameters directly estimated from the piezoelectric transducer output voltage, effectively eliminating the need for such measurements altogether. Simulations show that even when closely spaced peaks exist within multi-peak charge distributions, our method can accurately reconstruct their profiles. In addition, the charge distributions obtained from experimental data of PTFE, FEP, and PEEK indicate that the proposed approach outperforms traditional methods in predicting penetration depth while reducing fluctuations and spurious peaks. We expect this method to be a valuable tool for the design and optimization of electronic systems in harsh environments through offering a simple, fast, and accurate alternative to conventional deconvolution methods.