Supervision: Rahim Vesal

Project type: Semester project (bachelor) Semester project (master)

Assigned

A Corona Discharge Transducer (CDT) is composed of an array of very thin wires with of 0.1 mm diameter (“emitter electrode”), and a grounded metallic conductive grid (“collector electrode”) separated by a thin layer of air gap. By superimposing a high dc voltage (~8kV) component to ionize the neutral particles surrounding the emitter electrode with an oscillating signal (~1kV), CDT can generate particle velocity and thus sound. Given the substantially high voltage between the electrodes, there is a risk of electric arcs occurring, potentially damaging the CDT.

This project aims to develop an automated circuit to suppress arcs between CDT electrodes. During this semester project, you will design a control circuit that monitors the current flowing through the transducer and, upon detecting an arc that exceeds a predefined electric current threshold, temporarily cuts off the high-voltage signal. The designed system is expected to mitigate the potential damage caused by arcs.

The project invites introductory experience in electronics and offers a good opportunity for practical engagement in circuit design for safety considerations.