New Measurement Methods for an Industrial-Scale Electroporation Facility for Sugar Beets

Electroporation (EP) is a new way for preparing sugar beets for the extraction process in a sugar factory, replacing the established thermal process. For an efficient operation, the degree of EP needs to be monitored continuously. In this paper, a new method for this measurement based on a phase angle evaluation is presented. Furthermore, during the long-term operation, the distance of the spark gaps inside the Marx generators has to be compensated for the wear. With the Marx generators operated in triggered mode, the breakdown voltage cannot be measured in a straightforward manner. Instead, the actual voltage is derived from a time measurement and fed into a control loop.