DC electric field sensor in a grounded enclosure with height adjustable pin

Abstract

The deployment of dc electric field sensors in outdoor environments requires a fully sealed enclosure to shield them from environmental damage. This paper explores the behavior of an electric field sensor housed within a grounded enclosure featuring an electrically floating cover plate. A capacitance model was developed for this configuration, revealing that a conducting extension pin positioned between the cover plate to a position closely above the sensor can enhance the field strength experienced by the sensor. In the experiment, when the aperture of the enclosure measures 30 mm × 30 mm, the floating plate dimensions are 15 mm × 15 mm, and the pin diameter is 4.6 mm, with the pin positioned 1 mm above the sensor, the detected field strength is amplified by a factor of 8.9 compared to when the extension pin is absent.