Page 23 - Layout 1

Department of Engineering, ICT and Technologies for Energy and Transport Patent Title Electric field measurement device. Ref. CNR 10527 Assignee(s): CNR, University of Rome Tor Vergata CNR Institute: IDASC Main Inventor: Fabio Lo Castro Countries: IT Priority date: 05/10/2017 Abstract This invention refers to a device for the measurement of an electric field. In particular, the invention relates to a device, studied and realized for the detection of electric fields - either constant or continuous, or slowly changing over time - for applications regarding specifically high potential fields present in nature, in particular in the atmosphere, or continuously powered electrical circuits, such as, for example, high voltage power lines. The versatility of the device allows it to be used for any application where it is necessary to assess if an electrical circuit is powered or not. Background The basic idea was generated by Lord Kelvin (1800) and has been employed in recent years for the measurement of the work functions of two different materials constituting the capacitor plates. The knowledge of the work function of one of the two materials allows for the determination of the work function of the other. In this application, the armatures of the capacitor remain fixed while the dielectric constant is changed by means of a rotating disc made of variable dielectric constant material. Technology Unlike the traditional applications of the Kelvin probe, the presence of a rotating disc allows for higher variant capacitance frequencies, some kHz, with respect to those obtainable using the method by which one of the armatures of the capacitator is changed by way of a resonance lever, about 200 Hz. Advantages and Applications The greatest advantage of the proposed device is related to the ability to measure DC voltages, without contact, which would be difficult to obtain by using other methods which would require the presence of varying voltages, even if at low frequency. It can be applied in those sectors where there are continuous high voltages. Development stage The device is at the laboratory prototype stage. 13