Effect of an Alternating Electric Field on Dust Removal

Dust removal by means of an electric curtain is analyzed theoretically and demonstrated experimentally. A critical “floating” voltage criterion is introduced, above which the effect of the Vander Waals force on dust movement can be overcome. The relationship between critical voltage and frequency of the alternating field is derived. The results of numerical simulation as well as experiments show that the dependence of critical voltage on frequency is different for low and high frequencies. For high frequencies critical voltage is in direct proportion with frequency, while in low frequencies there is a lower limit of critical voltage. The experiment result coincides with our simulation conclusion. This method to remove dust does not abrade the circuit boards and has promising applications in the future exploration of deep space.