Embedded Sensor Technology

The EMPL was established as a research facility in 1999 when KSC scientists were asked to participate in the MECA program, a planetary science mission scheduled for Mars. The mission called for an instrument to measure the electrostatic charge deposited onto insulator surfaces exposed to Martian soil and obtain the charging magnitudes for material selection and engineering purposes for future human space flight. As a result, the technology to measure the triboelectric charge deposited onto insulator surfaces from inside the material was born.

This unique technology is now available to customers who are interested in understanding static charging in complicated systems. Large amounts of charge could be deposited on insulators when impacted by dust particles resulting in unwanted electrostatic potentials that could damage systems and electronics. Since standard field meters with rotating mechanisms could be damaged if exposed to a dust storm or dust devil, embedding the sensors inside the material provides ideal protection of the circuitry.

Dust adherence to surfaces is known to be a strong function of the amount of electrostatic charge present on the particles. Thus embedded sensors placed underneath the surface of a material impacted by dust provides a direct measurement of this electrostatic adherence force.

An example of the embedded sensor technology is the Aerodynamic Multisensor. This technology was developed to understand the charge exchanged between dust laden flows and insulating materials.

There are several examples in which embedded sensor technology would be applicable.

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Responsible NASA Official: James Heald (James.R.Heald@nasa.gov)
Page Curator: Dr. Carlos Calle (Carlos.I.Calle@nasa.gov)
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Last Updated: July 8, 2003