A physical model to explain electrostatic charging in an automotive environment; correlation with experiments

Static electricity is a very common feature in the automotive environment. Such a phenomenon may be detrimental for the embarked electronic devices and/or the passengers, and also during refueling operations in fuel stations. The work presented in the following deals with the comfort issue and consists of a research of physical solutions able to avoid the human body voltage rise up and its associated discharge. This paper is focused on the determination of the cause of its appearance and on the development of an appropriate model able to predict the occupant potential rise versus the different characteristics of the materials used inside the car. It is developed in the case of an occupant exiting from the car. Correlations with the measured values in a real situation are presented. Getting a better understanding of the individual's static build up will allow us to find a reliable solution to avoid both electrostatic voltage rise on the human body and shock risk.