CHARGE SIMULATION METHOD

High Voltage and Insulation (EEL1512)

Group-2A
Enrollment No. -1,4,7,10,13,16,19,22,25,28,31,34
Submitted To. – Prof. Saibal Chatterjee, Professor 1
(Dept. of EEE)
Content
• Introduction
• Brief Discussion
• Main components &Working Principle
• Advantages and Disdavantages
• Examples
• Comparison
• Applications

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 Charge Simulation Method
 In charge simulation method, the distributed charges on the surface of a conductor/electrode or dielectric
interfaces is simulated by replacing these charges by n discrete fictitious individual charges.
 The position and type of simulation charges are to be determined first and then the field on the electrode
surface is determined by the potential function of these individual charges.
 In order to determine the magnitude of these charges n no. of points are chosen on the surface of the
conductor. These points are known as “contour points’’. The sum of the potentials due to fictitious
charge distribution at any contour points should correspond to the conductor potential Vc which is known
a priori.
 Suppose qi, is one of the fictitious charges and Vi is the potential of any point Pi in space which is
independent of the coordinate system chosen, the total potential Vi due to all the charges is given as:

……………..(i)

Where pij are known as ‘‘potential Co-efficient’’

……………..(ii)

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 Working Principle
When the conductor is excited by an applied voltage, charges appear on the surface of the conductor. These charges produce an electric
field outside the conductor, while at the same time maintains the conductor at equipotential. Similarly, when a dielectric is excited by
an external field, it gets polarised, i.e. the charged particles of the molecules of the dielectric get shifted from their neutral state to
produce a volume of dipoles. In essence, it is possible to replace this volume polarisation by the charged surface. Charge Simulation
Method employs this physical description and attempts to simulate the above-mentioned continuous charge distribution by a set of
discrete charges kept just outside the computational domain. The values of these discrete charges are then evaluated by forcing the
specified voltages at some selected points called contour points on the surface of the conductor and by forcing the material interface
conditions at some selected points on the dielectric interface.
It is required that at any of these contour points on the electrode, the potential resulting from the superposition of the charges is equal to the
electrode potential φ.
Thus,
………………………..(v)

where, Pij are the potential coefficients which can be evaluated analytically for many types of charges by solving Laplace’s or Poisson’s
equation. For example, in Fig. 2 which shows three point charges Q 1, Q2 and Q3 in free space, the potential φi at point Ci will be

………………………..(vi)

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 Fig.2 : Three point charges in free space

Thus, once the types of charges and their locations are defined, it is possible to relate φ ij and Qj quantitatively at any boundary point. In
Charge Simulation Method, the simulation charges are placed outside the space where the field solution is desired (or inside any
equipotential surface such as metal electrodes). If the boundary point C i is located on the surface of a conductor, then φ i at this contour
point will be equal to the conductor potential φ. When this procedure is applied to m contour points, it leads to the following system of
m linear equations for n unknown charges.

………………………..(vii)

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 Advantages of charge Simulation Method
The Charge Simulation Method (CSM) is a computational technique used in electromagnetism to analyze
and calculate electric fields and potentials. It is particularly useful in cases where you have a distribution of
charges and want to understand the resulting electric field or potential at various points in space. Here are
some advantages of using the Charge Simulation Method:-

 Versatility:- CSM can be applied to a wide range of geometries and charge distributions, making it a
versatile tool for solving electrostatic problems. It is not limited to specific geometries or charge
arrangements.
 Numerical Accuracy:- CSM can provide highly accurate results when implemented correctly. By
discretizing a continuous charge distribution into discrete point charges, you can approximate the electric
field and potential at any point with good accuracy.
 Visualization:- CSM allows you to visualize the electric field and potential in complex systems by
calculating them at discrete points. This can help in gaining insight into the behavior of electric fields in
various situations.
 Easy Implementation:- The basic concept of CSM is relatively straightforward to understand and
implement, especially for simple charge distributions. It is a valuable technique for introductory studies
in electromagnetism.

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 Disadvantages of charge simulation Method

The Charge Simulation Method (CSM) is a useful technique for solving electrostatic problems, but it also
has its limitations and disadvantages. Here are some of the disadvantages associated with CSM:
 Limited Applicability: CSM is primarily suited for solving electrostatic problems in which steady-state
electric fields are the focus. It is less suitable for problems involving time-varying fields, magnetic
fields, or electromagnetic radiation.
 Computational Intensity: CSM can be computationally intensive, especially for problems with a large
number of charges or a complex geometry. As the number of simulated charges increases, the
computational effort required also increases substantially.
 Sensitivity to Charge Placement: The accuracy of CSM results can be sensitive to the placement of
simulated charges. Incorrectly positioned charges or non-optimal charge distributions can lead to
inaccurate results.
 Lack of Magnetic Field Analysis: CSM is primarily focused on electrostatic problems and does not
address magnetic fields or electromagnetic interactions. For problems involving both electric and
magnetic fields, other numerical methods like Finite Element Analysis (FEA) or Finite Difference Time
Domain (FDTD) are more appropriate.

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 Comparison Between Various Technique
(FDM,FEM,CSM,SCSM)
 Finite Difference Method (FDM): FDM discretizes the spatial domain into a grid and approximates
differential equations with finite difference equations. It's widely used for solving partial differential
equations in various fields, including electromagnetics. FDM is relatively easy to implement for simple
geometries but can become computationally intensive for complex ones.

 Finite Element Method (FEM): FEM divides complex geometries into smaller, interconnected elements and
approximates solutions within these elements. It's versatile, offering good accuracy for a wide range of
problems in electromagnetics, structural analysis, and more. FEM is particularly suited for problems with
irregular geometries and material properties.

 Charge Simulation Method (CSM): CSM represents a continuous charge distribution as discrete point
charges and calculates the electric field and potential at various points. It's beneficial for electrostatic
problems but may struggle with complex geometries and requires careful placement of charges for accuracy.

 Surface Charge Simulation Method (SCSM): SCSM, an extension of CSM, focuses on charge distributions
on surfaces. It's used for analyzing electric fields near conductive surfaces and dielectric interfaces. SCSM
simplifies modeling in situations where volumetric charge distributions are concentrated on surfaces, making
it efficient for certain applications.
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 Applications

 Electrostatics and Electromagnetics Analysis: CSM is widely used to analyze electrostatic and
electromagnetic phenomena. It can be applied to study the behavior of charged particles, electric
fields, and potentials in complex systems. This includes the design and analysis of electric circuits,
antennas, and electromagnetic wave propagation.
 Capacitance Calculation: CSM is employed to determine the capacitance of complex
geometries. It helps in evaluating the ability of a system to store electric charge and is crucial in
designing capacitors and other energy storage devices.
 Charged Particle Interaction: CSM is used to model and understand the interaction between
charged particles, such as electrons and ions. It plays a role in plasma physics, particle
accelerators, and the behavior of charged particles in magnetic fields.
 Semiconductor Device Simulation: In the semiconductor industry, CSM is utilized to simulate
the behavior of charge carriers (e.g., electrons and holes) in semiconductor devices like transistors
and diodes. It helps in optimizing device performance and reliability.