Analytical Model of Field Mill Sensor in Electrostatic Elimination Systems with Space-Charge Effects

The electrostatic sensor is the core component of the electrostatic elimination system. However, during system operation, the output of the sensor can be altered by the space charge generated by the system itself. Accurate modeling of the electrostatic sensor in the space-charge environment can effectively enhance the reliability and safety of the closed-loop control processes. To clarify the operational mechanism of the sensor within the system, a model of the field mill sensor is proposed in this study. The model is derived by a one-dimensional analytical approach to simplify the calculation. Furthermore, the relationship between the space charge distribution and the sensor output is established to illustrate the influence of space charge on the sensor signal. The effectiveness of the proposed model is examined through simulation in the electrostatic elimination system. The results obtained from the proposed model are similar to those of the numerical model with lower computational cost. Thus, the model provides a practical sensor modeling solution for electrostatic elimination systems.