# Experimental Characterization and Calibration of a MEMS Electric Field Sensor Under DC Ionized Field Conditions

## TL;DR

This paper studies how a MEMS electric field sensor behaves in high-voltage DC environments with ionized fields and proposes a new calibration method to improve measurement accuracy.

## Contribution

A novel joint calibration method that accounts for ion current density to enhance sensor accuracy in ionized DC fields.

## Key findings

- Ion flow causes progressive output drift and measurement deviations in MEMS sensors.
- The proposed calibration method reduces maximum relative error from 29.28% to about 5.07%.
- The study provides a reliable basis for using MEMS sensors in complex ionized DC environments.

## Abstract

Accurate electric field measurement in high-voltage direct current (HVDC) environments is essential for power system monitoring. This study systematically investigates the output characteristics of a micro-electro-mechanical system (MEMS) electric field sensor under DC ionized field conditions. Using a controlled experimental platform capable of generating independent nominal electric fields and ion flows, the influence of ion current density on sensor sensitivity and offset was quantitatively analyzed. Experimental results reveal that ion flow leads to a progressive output drift and significant measurement deviations when using conventional electrostatic calibration. To address this issue, a joint calibration method incorporating ion current density is proposed. Validation experiments demonstrate that the proposed method significantly improves measurement accuracy, reducing the maximum relative error from 29.28% to approximately 5.07%. This work provides a reliable experimental basis and calibration methodology for utilizing MEMS electric field sensors in complex ionized DC environments.