Capacitive voltage sensor with a hidden sensing electrode

1. A capacitive network for use in a voltage sensor, the capacitive network comprising:

a first conductor shaped to form a boundary that separates a first interior space and a first exterior space;

a second conductor shaped to form a boundary that encircles a second interior space and separates the second interior space from a second exterior space;

a third conductor disposed in the second interior space and having a line of sight to the first conductor through an opening in the second conductor; and

an external insulator formed around the first conductor and the second conductor in the first exterior space and the second exterior space;

wherein a first capacitance is formed between the first conductor and the third conductor and a second capacitance is formed between the second conductor and the third conductor whereby conductive material that may collect on the external insulator may have negligible effect on the first capacitance and the second capacitance.

2. The capacitive network of claim 1 , wherein the first conductor is configured to attach to a high voltage line and the second conductor is configured to attach to a grounded voltage line.

3. The capacitive network of claim 1 , wherein the first conductor is configured to attach to a grounded voltage line and the second conductor is configured to attach to a high voltage line.

4. The capacitive network of claim 1 , wherein the third conductor is configured to attach to a sensing line.

5. The capacitive network of claim 1 , wherein the opening is in a top section of the second conductor and the top section extends into the first interior space by at least 0.5 inches.

6. The capacitive network of claim 5 , wherein a first end section of the third conductor does not extend into the first interior space and remains below the opening in the second conductor for at least 0.1 inches.

7. The capacitive network of claim 1 , wherein the first conductor and the second conductor cooperate to eliminate a line of sight from the third conductor to the conductive material that collects on the external insulator.

8. The capacitive network of claim 7 , wherein the first conductor and the second conductor cooperate to shield the third conductor from the conductive material that collects on the external insulator by eliminating a line of sight from the conductive material that collects on the external insulator to the third conductor wherein the conductive material that collects on the external insulator has negligible effect on the first capacitance and the second capacitance.

9. The capacitive network of claim 1 , wherein:

the first conductor has a bottom section and one or more sides extending away from the bottom section, the bottom section and the one or more sides cooperating to form the boundary that separates the first interior space and the first exterior space, wherein the first interior space includes insulator material;

the second conductor has a top section and one or more sides extending away from the top section, the one or more sides joining together to form the boundary that encircles the second interior space and separates the second interior space from the second exterior space, the top section including the opening; and

the third conductor is separated from the second conductor via insulator material.

10. The capacitive network of claim 9 , wherein the bottom section and the one or more sides of the first conductor cooperate to form a cup-like shape.

11. A voltage sensor comprising:

an amplifier configured to receive a sensing voltage level from a capacitive divider and output an amplified output to an analog to digital converter; and

a capacitive network configured to provide the capacitive divider, the capacitive network comprising:

a first conductor shaped to form a boundary that separates a first interior space and a first exterior space;

a second conductor shaped to form a boundary that encircles a second interior space and separates the second interior space from a second exterior space;

a third conductor disposed in the second interior space and having a line of sight to the first conductor through an opening in the second conductor; and

an external insulator formed around the first conductor and the second conductor in the first exterior space and the second exterior space;

wherein a first capacitance is formed between the first conductor and the third conductor, a second capacitance is formed between the second conductor and the third conductor, and the capacitive divider includes the first capacitance and the second capacitance.

12. The voltage sensor of claim 11 , wherein the amplifier is configured to receive the sensing voltage level from the capacitive divider via a resistive divider network.

13. The voltage sensor of claim 11 , wherein the opening is in a top section of the second conductor and the top section extends into the first interior space by at least 0.5 inches.

14. The voltage sensor of claim 13 , wherein a first end section of the third conductor does not extend into the first interior space and remains below the opening in the second conductor for at least 0.1 inches.

15. The voltage sensor of claim 11 , wherein the first conductor and the second conductor cooperate to eliminate a line of sight from the third conductor to the conductive material that collects on the external insulator.

16. The voltage sensor of claim 15 , wherein the first conductor and the second conductor cooperate to shield the third conductor from the conductive material that collects on the external insulator by eliminating a line of sight from the conductive material that collects on the external insulator to the third conductor wherein the conductive material that collects on the external insulator has negligible effect on the first capacitance and the second capacitance.

17. The voltage sensor of claim 11 , wherein:

the first conductor has a bottom section and one or more sides extending away from the bottom section, the bottom section and the one or more sides cooperating to form the boundary that separates the first interior space and the first exterior space, wherein the first interior space includes insulator material;

the second conductor has a top section and one or more sides extending away from the top section, the one or more sides joining together to form the boundary that encircles the second interior space and separates the second interior space from the second exterior space, the top section including the opening; and

the third conductor is separated from the second conductor via insulator material.

18. The voltage sensor of claim 17 , wherein the bottom section and the one or more sides of the first conductor cooperate to form a cup-like shape.

19. A method in a voltage sensor, the method comprising:

applying a first voltage to a first conductor that is formed in a shape that cooperates with a second conductor to shield a third conductor from conductive material external to the first and second conductors;

applying a second voltage to the second conductor that is formed in a shape that cooperates with the first conductor to shield the third conductor from conductive material external to the first and second conductors; and

sensing a third voltage at the third conductor with respect to the second conductor, wherein the third conductor is shielded from capacitive coupling from conductive material external to the first and second conductors and deposited on the insulator surface, wherein:

the first conductor is shaped to form a boundary that separates a first interior space and a first exterior space;

the second conductor is shaped to form a boundary that encircles a second interior space and separates the second interior space from a second exterior space;

the third conductor is disposed in the second interior space and has a line of sight to the first conductor through an opening in the second conductor; and

an external insulator is formed around the first conductor and the second conductor in the first exterior space and the second exterior space, wherein the first conductor and the second conductor cooperate to eliminate a line of sight from the third conductor to the conductive material external to the first and second conductors on the external insulator;

wherein a first capacitance is formed between the first conductor and the third conductor, a second capacitance is formed between the second conductor and the third conductor, and the conductive material that collects on the external insulator has negligible effect on the first capacitance and the second capacitance.