Investigating the Impact of Pulse Rise Time in PEA Methods: A Simulation Study

The pulsed electroacoustic (PEA) method has emerged as the most commonly used technique to measure space charges in dielectric insulating materials. Both experimental and simulation-based research work has been conducted to understand the influence of design parameters on the spatial resolution of the PEA sensor. Conventional studies have recognized that the spatial resolution depends mainly upon the width of the applied pulse. However recent experimental findings have demonstrated that pulse rise time is also a critical factor that affects the PEA output signal. This study focuses on development of a simulation tool that improves understanding of the impact of pulse rise time on the useful output signal, hence on the spatial resolution. The research employs COMSOL Multiphysics for simulating the PEA method. This study concludes that pulse rise times higher than the wave propagation time through the piezoelectric sensor lead to poorer spatial resolution and an optimum pulse rise time may be evaluated for different pulse widths.