Surface charging systems and method for charging a non-planar surface

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10976358-B2
Application number	US-201816183455-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 7, 2018
Priority date	Nov 7, 2018
Publication date	Apr 13, 2021
Grant date	Apr 13, 2021

Abstract

Systems include a test object that comprises a surface having a non-planar topographical feature, and an electrode comprising a non-linear segment that is proximate to the non-planar topographical feature of the surface of the test object. The electrode is positioned proximate to but not in contact with the surface of the test object such that the perpendicular distances between the electrode and the surface of the test object are uniform across the electrode. The electrode is further configured to (i) be translated across the surface of the test object while maintaining the perpendicular distances between the electrode and the surface of the test object, and (ii) impart a layer of charge across the surface of the test object when the test object is translated across the surface.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A surface charging system comprising:
an electrode configured to be positioned proximate to but not in contact with a surface of a test object such that perpendicular distances between the electrode and the surface of the test object are uniform across the electrode, wherein the electrode comprises a non-linear segment that is proximate to a non-planar topographical feature of the surface of the test object when the electrode is positioned proximate to but not in contact with the surface of the test object, and wherein the electrode is configured to:
be translated across the surface of the test object while maintaining the perpendicular distances between the electrode and the surface of the test object, and
impart a layer of charge across the surface of the test object when the test object is translated across the surface.

2. The surface charging system of claim 1 in combination with the test object, wherein perpendicular distances between the non-linear segment and the non-planar topographical feature are uniform across the non-linear segment.

3. The surface charging system of claim 1 in combination with the test object, wherein the surface of the test object further has a planar region, and the electrode further comprises a linear segment that is proximate to the planar region of the surface of the test object.

4. The surface charging system of claim 3 , wherein a perpendicular distance between the non-linear segment and the non-planar topographical feature and a perpendicular distance between the linear segment and the planar region are constant within a threshold variance while the electrode is translated across the surface of the test object.

5. The surface charging system of claim 1 in combination with the test object, wherein the surface of the test object further has an additional non-planar topographical feature, and the electrode further comprises an additional non-linear segment proximate to the additional non-planar topographical feature.

6. The surface charging system of claim 1 , wherein the electrode being configured to impart the layer of charge across the surface of the test object corresponds to the electrode being configured to impart a layer of charge across an electrically insulative surface layer of the test object.

7. The surface charging system of claim 6 in combination with the test object, wherein the test object further comprises a grounding material that is proximate to the electrically insulative surface layer, and wherein when the electrode is further configured to be positioned proximate to but not in contact with the surface of the test object such that the electrically insulative surface layer is between the grounding material and the electrode.

8. The surface charging system of claim 7 , wherein the grounding material corresponds to a grounding layer that comprises an electrically conductive material that is grounded, and the electrode is further configured to impart the layer of charge across a portion of the electrically insulative surface layer proximate to the grounding material.

9. The surface charging system of claim 7 , wherein the grounding material corresponds to one of a bolt, a screw, a nail, and a fastening mechanism that comprises an electrically conductive material, and the electrode is further configured to impart the layer of charge across a portion of the electrically insulative surface layer proximate to the one of the bolt, the screw, the nail, and the fastening mechanism.

10. The surface charging system claim 1 , further comprising a support structure configured to:
support the electrode above the surface of the test object such that the perpendicular distances between the electrode and the surface of the test object are uniform across the electrode; and
translate the electrode in relation to the surface of the test object.

11. The surface charging system of claim 1 , wherein the electrode is one of a charging wire and a charging blade.

12. A surface charging system comprising:
a charging mesh comprising a conductive material, wherein the charging mesh has a topography that corresponds to a non-planar surface of a test object, the charging mesh is positioned such that perpendicular distances between the charging mesh and the surface of the test object are uniform across the charging mesh, and the charging mesh is configured to:
be translated towards and away from the surface of the test object; and
impart a layer of charge across the surface of the test object.

13. The surface charging system of claim 12 , wherein the charging mesh is partially or completely composed of an electrically conductive material, and is further configured to:
receive an applied voltage from a voltage source; and
impart the layer of charge based on the applied voltage.

14. The surface charging system of claim 12 in combination with the test object, wherein the topography of the charging mesh is such that perpendicular distances between the charging mesh and a non-planar topographical feature of the non-planar surface of the test object are uniform across the non-planar topographical feature.

15. A method for charging a non-planar surface of a test object, the method comprising:
initiating a voltage source electrically connected to an electrode;
bringing the electrode to a desired potential;
translating the electrode to a position proximate to but not in contact with the non-planar surface of the test object;
inducing a charge on the non-planar surface of the test object using the electrode; and
translating the electrode across the non-planar surface of the test object, wherein during the translating of the electrode across the non-planar surface of the test object, a uniform perpendicular distance between the electrode and the non-planar surface of the test object is maintained.

16. The method of claim 15 , wherein translating the electrode to a position proximate to but not in contact with the non-planar surface of the test object comprises one of:
translating a charging wire to a position proximate to but not in contact with the non-planar surface of the test object; and
translating a charging blade to a position proximate to but not in contact with the non-planar surface of the test object.

17. A method for charging a non-planar surface of a test object, wherein the non-planar surface of the test object includes a planar region and a topographical feature, the method comprising:
initiating a voltage source electrically connected to an electrode;
bringing the electrode to a desired potential;
translating the electrode to a position proximate to but not in contact with the non-planar surface of the test object;
positioning the electrode such that perpendicular distances between the planar region and the electrode and perpendicular distances between the topographical feature and the electrode are the same; and
inducing a charge on the non-planar surface of the test object using the electrode.

18. The method of claim 17 , wherein translating the electrode to a position proximate to but not in contact with the non-planar surface of the test object comprises translating a charging mesh to a position proximate to but not in contact with the non-planar surface of the test object.

19. A method for charging a non-planar surface of a test object, the method comprising:
initiating a voltage source electrically connected to an electrode;
bringing the electrode to a desired potential;
translating the electrode to a position proximate to but not in contact with

Assignees

• Boeing Co

Inventors

• Nikic Dejan
• Kwon Eddie

Classifications

• G01R31/1263 Primary

  of solid or fluid materials, e.g. insulation films, bulk material; of semiconductors or LV electronic components or parts; of cable, line or wire insulation · CPC title