ELECTROSTATIC VOLTMETERS

EE640 – HIGH VOLTAGE

ENGINEERING (EVENT)
MADHUSHREE N
ROLL NO: 20
• Electrostatic voltmeter can refer to
an electrostatic charge meter, known also
as surface DC voltmeter, or to a voltmeter to
measure large electrical potentials, traditionally
called electrostatic voltmeter.
• Electrostatic Voltmeters produced upto 1000 kV
rated voltage are suitable for the measurement of
ac power frequency and also for higher
frequency rms voltages. They can also measure
dc voltages.
• For higher voltage range compact voltmeters
with SF6 gas or vacuum insulation gap are also
produced.
• A surface DC voltmeter is an instrument that
measures voltage with no electric charge transfer.
• It can accurately measure surface potential
(voltage) on materials without making physical
contact and so there is no electrostatic charge
transfer or loading of the voltage source.
PRINCIPLE OF OPERATION
• An electrostatic voltmeter uses the attraction force between two charged
surfaces to create a deflection of a pointer directly calibrated in volts. Since
the attraction force is the same regardless of the polarity of the charged
surfaces (as long as the charge is opposite), the electrostatic voltmeter can
measure both DC voltages of either polarity.
• These voltmeters were suggested by Kelvin in 1884 for the measurement of rms
value of power frequency voltage. They are developed to follow the
Coulomb's law which defines the static electric field as a field of force.
• When one of the electrodes is free to move, the force on the plate can be
measured by controlling it by a spring or balancing it with a counter weight.
For high voltage measurements, a small displacement of one of the electrodes
by a fraction of a millimeter to a few millimeters is usually sufficient for voltage
measurements. As the force is proportional to the square of the applied
voltage, the measurement can be made for ac or dc voltages
• The field produced between two parallel plate electrodes with shaped profile
brims, is a uniform field.
• If the voltage applied across these parallel plates having a gap distance 'd' is
U, then the uniform field produced in the gap between them will have an
intensity E equal to U/d.
• The attracting force F between the plates on area A of the electrodes is equal
to the rate of change of stored electrical energy Wel per unit distance in the
capacitance formed between the plates.
Therefore,

The attracting force is always positive independent of the polarity of the voltage. If the
voltage is not constant, the force is also time (frequency) dependent. Then the mean
value of the force is used to measure the rms value of the voltage. Thus
CONSTRUCTION AND WORKING:

Where
• M – Mounting plate
• F – Fixed plate
• M– mirror
• C – Capacitance divider
• D – Dome
• R – Balancing weight
• G – Guard plate
• H – Guard rings
• B - Balance
• The constructional details of an absolute electrostatic voltmeter is given
in disc M that forms the central core of the guard ring G which is of the
same diameter as the fixed plate F.
• The cap D encloses a sensitive balance B, one arm of which carries the
suspension of the moving disc. The balance beam carries a mirror which
reflects a beam of light. The movement of the disc is thereby magnified.
As the spacing between the two electrodes is large, the uniformity of
the electric field is maintained by the guard rings which surround the
space between the discs F and M.
• The guard rings H are maintained at a constant potential in space by a
capacitance divider ensuring a uniform special potential distribution.
Some instruments are constructed in an enclosed structure containing
compressed air, carbon dioxide, or nitrogen.
• The gas pressure may be of the order of 15 atm. Working stresses as
high as 100 kV/cm may be used in an electrostatic meter in vacuum.
• Various voltmeters developed differ in their use of different methods
of restoring forces required to balance the electrostatic attraction.
This can be achieved by suspension of the moving electrode on one
arm of a balance or its suspension on a spring or the use of a
pendulous or torsional suspension.
• The small movement is generally transmitted and amplified by a spot
light and mirror system, but many other systems have also been used.
• The electrostatic measuring device can be used for absolute voltage
measurements since the calibration can be made in terms of the
fundamental quantities of the gap length and forces.
• For a constant electrode separation 'd' the integrated forces increase
with (Urms)2 and thus the sensitivity of the system for low ranges of the
rated voltages of the instrument is small. This disadvantage is
overcome, however by varying the gap length in appropriate steps.
• The high pressure gas or even high vacuum between the electrodes
provide very high resistivity, therefore the low active power loss.
• The measurement of voltages lower than about 50V is , however not
possible as the forces become too small.
• The load inductance and the electrode system capacitance,
however, form a series resonant circuit which must be damped, thus
limiting the frequency range.
• A five section capacitor and oil insulated bushing is used to bring
the extremely high voltage into the instrument metal tank, filled with
pressurized SF6
• The HV electrode and earthed plane provide uniform electric fields
in the region of the 5 cm diameter disc set in a 65 cm diameter
guard plane.
• The measurement accuracy of this instrument is of the order of 0.1%.
ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES
 Advantages:
• They are unchanged by stray attractive fields.
• They draw small power as of mains. Therefore such voltmeters do not
change condition of the circuit to which they are linked.
• Can be used for both AC and DC voltage measurements.
• Free of hysteresis and eddy current losses.
 Disadvantages:
• As working force is small, errors due to friction are tricky to avoid.
• The scale is non-uniform being crowded in start of the scale.
• Low voltage measurements cannot be done.
• They are large in size and not robust in creation.