Analysis of the electric field distribution in the parallel-plate capacitor designed for testing the immunity of electrical devices to lightning electromagnetic pulse

The article verifies the actual voltage distribution inside a 2x2x1m capacitor. It is used to test objects an order of magnitude smaller, e.g.: unmanned aerial vehicles and determine the influence of the electrical component on the resulting surges in the circuits of these devices. The theoretical field distribution for an ideal capacitor is uniform, but for a real one, it can deviate significantly from the assumptions. This is affected by a number of factors, including conductive objects in the immediate vicinity, electrical wiring in walls, or water pipes. This is because each real capacitor has a different distribution of the electric field inside as well as near the ends of its covers. The uniformity of this distribution is therefore significantly altered, and it is necessary to determine in which cross-sectional area it is constant and provides the right conditions for reliable measurements. To determine these parameters, time-varying signals of low (a sinusoidal waveform with a frequency of 50 Hz) and medium frequency (a lightning surge pulse with rise/fall times of 6.4/69 mu s) were used. The results of the analysis are presented in this article.