This research discusses the usage of capacitive sensors for cultural heritage monitoring in museums, as exhibits are highly affected by their surrounding environmental factors such as humidity, which is to be treated as a mechanical quantity. Capacitive sensors for the detection of mechanical quantities all rely on a displacement measurement, meaning that the effect can be measured, and if the mechanical quantity (a dielectric with a specific value of κ , such as water vapor that causes humidity) controls the movable electrode, a sensor is realized. Since the value of the capacitor is directly related to its size. Hence, the relation between the capacitor and heritage culture can be drawn from utilizing the capacitor as a sensor of humidity, which tracks its presence and to protect the heritage exhibits from being damaged by it. The capacitive sensor model is simulated via COMSOL Multiphysics to observe the change in capacitance when the dielectric is replaced by another. That is, neglecting the assumption that the dimensions of a parallel-plate capacitor are infinite (to simulate as when in practice), in order to consider the fringing fields forming on the outer tips of the plates of the capacitor. As well as optimizing capacitance by manipulating the dimensions to make the plates as thin and wide as possible (making the angle between the plates  θ=π rad ). This serves the purpose of making the capacitor function as a humidity sensor, and as an alarm to keep tracking the humidity level within the tolerated range, in order for the cultural heritage exhibits to be protected from decaying. This as well demonstrates the relation between the capacitor's mechanical movement and water vapour (humidity), that is, by recalling that water vapour functions as a dielectric between the parallel plates of the capacitor with a unique value of the dielectric constant κ, which increases the capacitance on both plates and produces a constant ratio between the capacitance in presence of air and in presence of water vapour, which are values that can be obtained from the capacitor. Once detected, this indicates that water vapour is present in the exhibits, signaling that it must be removed to keep the exhibits from decaying.

Conference Title

(ICEISET-23) The First International Conference & Expo on Innovation and Sustainability in Engineering & Technology

Conference Country

Palestine

Conference Date

June 14, 2023 - June 15, 2023

Conference Sponsor

جامعة النجاح

Additional Info

Conference Website