Direct Electrical Field Strength Distribution Determination on Electrical Apparatus by Means of an Electro-optical Miniature Field Sensor

Numerical field calculations are an important tool during the design process of high voltage devices and relating products with high electric field strengths. Although the accuracy of these simulations can be increased with modern computers, measurements are often necessary to verify certain model assumptions and to get information about required but unknown material properties. During manufacturing or operation of cost-intensive apparatus, a monitoring of the electric field strength could be advantageous for the prevention of critical conditions, which would result in a reduced lifetime or even a damage of the device. In both cases, small potential free sensors with a neglectable influence on the electric field distribution are needed. Conventional E-field sensors cannot be used, because…