Particle charging by unipolar ionic bombardment in an AC electric field

A numerical technique for simulating the electrical conditions in a charging device for high-resistivity powders is presented. The device consists of two independent sets of electrodes: the first one, supplied with high DC voltage, produces the ionic discharge; and the second, connected to an AC voltage source, prevents precipitation of charged particles. The algorithm presented predicts the electric field and space charge density in the charging zone and then simulates trajectories of particles and the rate of charging. The results of simulation in a number of cases show the influence of different parameters on the work of the device.