High voltage sensing capacitor and indicator device

摘要

A high-voltage sensing capacitor as an interface apparatus that may be used to attach an indicator unit to a high-voltage AC electrical bus and to provide safety to maintenance personnel. The high-impedance nature of the sensing capacitor effectively isolates the indicator unit from the high-voltage source to which it is connected. The sensing capacitor can be directly mounted between a high-voltage busbar and an indicator unit to provide visual and/or audible alerts to maintenance personnel when high voltage conditions are detected on the busbar. The sensing capacitor is comprised of a portable, unitary capacitive structure that includes a molded insulator body encapsulating two electrodes. The electrodes only partially or incompletely overlap within the insulator body. The electrode spacing and configuration is structured to provide a deliberate amount of coupling between the two electrodes in the presence of an AC electric field.