DESIGN OPTIMIZATION STUDY OF A CAPACITIVE SENSOR FOR DETECTING MICROPLASTICS IN WATER

This study investigates the design optimization of a capacitive sensor for the detection of microplastics in water. To enhance sensor performance and minimize parasitic components as well as common-mode noise, the sensor architecture incorporates both a reference capacitor and a sensing capacitor. The sensor electrode, fabricated from copper, is positioned externally on the water pipe wall. Simulations were conducted with microplastic particles exhibiting a dielectric constant of 1.5 and radii ranging from 50 µm to 350 µm to analyze the sensor’s operational principles. The simulation results indicate a linear relationship between the sensor’s output capacitance and varying microplastic particle sizes. These findings suggest that the proposed sensor architecture holds significant potential for precise microplastic size measurement in aquatic environments