Electric field quantitative measurement system and method

• US 9,279,719 B2
• Filed: 02/03/2011
• Issued: 03/08/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 02/03/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: United States Of America As Represented By The Administrator Of The National Aeronautics And Space Administration
• Original Assignee: United States Of America As Represented By The Administrator Of The National Aeronautics And Space Administration
• Inventors: Generazio, Edward R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Phan, Huy Q
• Assistant Examiner(s): Russo, Raul Rios
• Application Number:
  US13/020,025
• Publication Number:
  US 20120199755A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,860 Days
• Field of Search: 324/452, 324/457, 324/632, 324/637, 342/22, 342/179
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B64F 1/366 Check-in counters
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 1/42 using electric radiation detectors optical or mechanical part G01J1/04; by comparison with a reference light or electric value G01J1/10
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 29/00 Arrangements for measuring or indicating electric quantities not covered by groups G01R19/00 - G01R27/00
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 29/0878 Sensors; antennas; probes; detectors wave guide measuring sections G01R1/24
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 29/12 Measuring electrostatic fields or voltage-potential
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 29/14 Measuring field distribution
• CPC Class Codes: G01T 1/00 Measuring X-radiation, gamma radiation, corpuscular radiation, or cosmic radiation G01T3/00, G01T5/00 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01V 3/083 Controlled source electromagnetic [CSEM] surveying
• CPC Class Codes: G01V 3/088 operating with electric fields G01V3/082 takes precedence

Abstract

A method and system are provided for making a quantitative measurement of an electric field. A plurality of antennas separated from one another by known distances are arrayed in a region that extends in at least one dimension. A voltage difference between at least one selected pair of antennas is measured. Each voltage difference is divided by the known distance associated with the selected pair of antennas corresponding thereto to generate a resulting quantity. The plurality of resulting quantities defined over the region quantitatively describe an electric field therein.

Claims

1. A system for making a quantitative measurement of an original true, non-distorted electric field, including static and quasi-static electric fields, independent of the time of measurement, the system comprising:

an object;

a plurality of antennas separated from one another by known distances, said plurality of antennas arrayed in a region that extends in at least one dimension;

means coupled to said plurality of antennas for measuring a voltage difference between at least one selected pair of antennas from said plurality of antennas; and

a processor coupled to said means for measuring, said processor dividing each said voltage difference by one of said known distances associated with said selected pair of antennas corresponding thereto to thereby generate a resulting quantity with a plurality of resulting quantities being thereby defined over said region to quantitatively describe an electric, electrostatic, quasi-electrostatic field therein,

wherein said system quantitatively describes said electric field when said object is electrically conductive, and said system quantitatively describes said electric, electrostatic, and quasi-electrostatic field when said object is electrically non-conductive, and wherein the system makes a quantitative measurement of an original true, non-distorted electric field, including static an quasi-static electric fields independent of the time of measurement.

2. A system as in claim 1, wherein said means for measuring comprises a dedicated voltage measurement device coupled to each of said plurality of antennas.

3. A system as in claim 1, wherein said means for measuring comprises:

a common voltage measurement device; and

a controller for successively coupling and uncoupling each said selected pair of antennas to said common voltage measurement device in a sequenced and patterned fashion.

4. A system as in claim 1, further comprising an electric field generator for generating a reference electric field in proximity to said plurality of antennas.

5. A system as in claim 1, wherein said means for measuring comprises:

a Junction Field Effect Transistor (JFET) coupled to each of said plurality of antennas, each said JFET having a gate, a source and a drain with said gate only coupled to a corresponding one of said plurality of antennas; and

a voltage supply providing a voltage across said source and said drain of each said JFET.

6. A system as in claim 1, wherein each of said plurality of antennas comprises a plurality of carbon nanotubes.

7. A system as in claim 1, further comprising an imaging device coupled to said processor for producing an image of said electric field using said plurality of resulting quantities.

8. A system as in claim 1, further comprising a tactile feedback system coupled to said processor for producing a tactile output using said plurality of resulting quantities.

9. A system as in claim 1, further comprising a triboelectrically neutral material supporting said plurality of antennas.

10. A system as in claim 9, wherein said triboelectrically neutral material is flexible.

11. A system for making a quantitative measurement of an original true, non-distorted electric field, including static and quasi-static electric fields, independent of the time measurement, the system comprising:

an array of antennas;

a plurality of Junction Field Effect Transistors (JFET), a respective JFET connected to a respective antenna in said array, each said JFET having a gate directly coupled only to said respective antenna, each said JFET further having a source and a drain associated therewith;

a voltage supply coupled across said source and said drain of each said JFET;

means coupled to said antennas for measuring a voltage difference between selected pairs of said antennas; and

a processor coupled to said means for measuring, said processor dividing each said voltage difference by a distance between one of said selected pairs of said antennas associated therewith to thereby generate a resulting quantity with a plurality of resulting quantities being thereby defined over said array to quantitatively describe an electric, electrostatic, and quasi-static electrostatic field encompassing said array, wherein the system makes a quantitative measurement of an original, true, non-distorted electric field, including static and quasi-static electric fields, independent of the time measurement.

12. A system as in claim 11, wherein said means for measuring comprises a dedicated voltage measurement device coupled to each of said antennas.

13. A system as in claim 11, wherein said means for measuring comprises:

a common voltage measurement device; and

a controller for successively coupling and uncoupling each of said selected pairs of antennas to said common voltage measurement device in a sequenced and patterned fashion.

14. A system as in claim 11, further comprising an electric field generator for generating a reference electric field in proximity to said array.

15. A system as in claim 11, wherein each of said antennas comprises a plurality of carbon nanotubes.

16. A system as in claim 11, further comprising an imaging device coupled to said processor for producing an image said electric field using said plurality of resulting quantities.

17. A system as in claim 11, further comprising a tactile feedback system coupled to said processor for producing a tactile output using said plurality of resulting quantities.

18. A system as in claim 11, further comprising a triboelectrically neutral material supporting said array of antennas.

19. A system as in claim 18, wherein said triboelectrically neutral material is flexible.

28. A system as in claim 11, further including an object, and said system quantitatively describes said electric field when said object is electrically conductive, and said system quantitatively describes said electric field when said object is electrically non-conductive.

20. A method of making a quantitative measurement of an original true, non-distorted, electric field including static and quasi-static electric field, independent of the time of measurement, comprising the steps of:

providing an object;

using at least one antenna to sense voltage differences between known locations in a region that extends in at least one dimension; and

dividing each of said voltage differences by a distance between two of said known locations associated therewith to thereby generate a resulting quantity With a plurality of resulting quantities being thereby defined over said region to quantitatively describe an electric, electrostatic, and quasi-electrostatic field therein, wherein said electric, electrostatic and quasi-electrostatic field is quantitatively described when said object is electrically conductive, and said electric, electrostatic and quasi-electrostatic field is quantitatively described when said object is electrically non-conductive, wherein the system makes a quantitative measurement of an original, non-distorted electric field, including static and quasi-static electric fields, independent of the time measurement.

21. A method according to claim 20, wherein said step of using includes the step of moving a single antenna to each of said known locations.

22. A method according to claim 20, wherein said step of using includes the step of positioning a plurality of antennas in a spaced apart fashion in said region.

23. A method according to claim 20, further comprising the step of generating a reference electric field in proximity to said at least one antenna.

24. A method according to claim 20, further comprising the step of producing an image of said electric field using said plurality of resulting quantities.

25. A method according to claim 20, further comprising the step of producing a tactile output using said plurality of resulting quantities.

26. A method according to claim 20, further comprising the step of supporting each said antenna with a triboelectrically neutral material.

27. A method according to claim 26, wherein said step of supporting includes the step of encasing each said antenna with a triboelectrically neutral material.