Surface Potential Measurement Based on Optical Fiber Electrostatic Sensor

The electric field distortion produced by the charge accumulation of insulating material can lead to the decrease of withstand capability of insulation, and even cause the dielectric breakdown. Therefore, charge measurements of polymer are essential to assess the insulating properties and evaluate the electrostatic risks. Here, an optical fiber electrostatic sensor based on Fabry-Perot (F-P) interference principle is developed, which can be used to measure the surface potential on insulating polymer with different roughness. The results show that the sensor has excellent linearity when the applied voltage is between 1 and 4 kV. Its goodness of fit has a R2 value of 99%, and the sensitivity is 16.7 pm/kV. The proposed sensor can effectively realize the measurement of surface potential. The investigation provides a critical path to effectively explore potential decay and evaluate insulating properties.