Trends in external ionizer monitoring and control

Corona air ionization is widely used for neutralization of electrostatic charges in a broad variety of applications. In order to control and maintain the neutralization process, corona air ionizers are often available with external feedback mechanisms that provide information about the ionizer status and the quality of the created volumetric ion field. Sensors are utilized to detect the presence of positive and negative ions and to provide corresponding feedback data. This information can then be used to adjust the operating parameters of the ionizer. Such feedback-based control is typically provided by either stand-alone ionizer controllers or by a combination of computer programs and suitable hardware equipment that support the user in setting desired ionization conditions. Either solution may control the ionizer performance. Optionally, data acquisition or facility monitoring systems can additionally acquire, store and record information obtained from the ionization sensors. This paper describes methods and techniques used for establishing, maintaining and monitoring ionizer performance.