Fields, and methods of their simulation and exploration

Abstract

Since the treatment of the general field concept seems to be missing in the literature, and since methods of field ex ploration and of simulation are scattered in a great number of domestic as well as foreign papers, this paper presents, first, a brief survey on fields and on methods of their analy sis and simulation, and then reports on the state of the art in the area of simulation of electrostatic fields by means of a conductive-sheet analog or electrolytic tank. Although the paper has been written primarily with the needs of electric power engineering in mind, the treatment of the subject has been held as interdiscipli nary as possible. The paper will thus be useful also to those working in aerodynamics, elastic stress analysis, heat transfer, astronomy, acoustics, atomic physics, and ma terial sciences. Furthermore, for the electrical engineer, it may be helpful to know that electrical problems sometimes may be solved more easily or more conveniently by the use of nonelectrical methods. In the specialized section on the application of the electrolytic tank and the conductive-sheet analog to the solution of electrostatic field problems, little-known as well as new techniques are discussed, such as (1) plotting of infinite fields on a double analog, (2) determining of force lines or surfaces by means of the dual analog, (3) simulation of areas of different dielectric constants and of continuously variable dielectric constants by means of jellified dielectrics, (4) plotting of areas of low current density by the use of consecutive field mapping, (5) the possibility of plotting fields with rotational symmetry on isotropically conducting sheets and graphically transpos ing the map so obtained, and (6) solution of distributed source problems. A comparison of advantages, disadvantages, and limita tions of the electrolytic tank method and the conductive sheet analog is also presented. Finally, an appeal is made for teaching and use of field analog methods for future developments.