Electric Field Sensor Calibration Using Horizontal Parallel Plates

This paper describes details of an electric field sensor calibrator. The electric field sensor (field mill) is used to measure the atmospheric electric field. This calibrator is a parallel plate capacitor capable of creating electric fields near the atmospheric condition of fair weather, ie, without clouds and also electric fields observed during storms. The details of this system and the methodologies for the calibration of the electric field sensors as well as a study of the electric field generated in the calibrator are presented. Results of measurements of the atmospheric electric field in different local conditions, fair weather and storms are also presented.