Measurement Techniques and Virtual Instruments for the Study of Electrostatic Processes

ABOUT:

The objective was to develop measurement techniques allowing a better control of electrostatic processes. A virtual instrument (VI) was designed to measure the electric charge of powders, and quantify the performances of a tribo-electrostatic painting process. A VI driven electrostatic voltmeter measured the discharge of insulating granular layers in contact with an electrode. The discharge curves of the components can predict the feasibility of separating them. A third VI analysed the variance of high voltage between the electrodes of an electrostatic separator; it evidenced a linear correlation between the high voltage standard deviation and the metal content of the granular mixture to be separated. Using Taguchi's method, we have modelled the separation process and studied its robustness. The techniques presented give the means of refining the analysis of the factors concerned, thus facilitating the use of statistical methods for process control.

KEYWORDS:

electrical measurments, electrical charge, electrical discharge, electrical charge distribution, high voltage, data aquisition (DAQ), electrostatic separation (technology), electrostatic, statistic process control

LAII-ESIP, UPRES EA 1219

Equipe « Electronique et Electrostatique »

IUT Angoulême

4, Avenue de Varsovie

16021 Angouleme

Thesis

"Because virtual instrumentation makes the measurement of process variables both accurate and versatile, it enables a deeper insight into electrostatic phenomena, paving the way for the improvement of existing technologies and the development of new ones."

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