# Parallel Plate Capacitor (parPlateCapacitorT.pre)

Keywords:

electrostatics, parallel plate capacitor

## Problem description

This Parallel Plate Capacitor simulation computes the electrostatic potential and field for a parallel plate capacitor. It can be run in any number of dimensions. It is periodic in the y and z directions when they are present.

This simulation can be performed with a VSimBase license.

## Opening the Simulation

The Parallel Plate Capacitor example is accessed from within VSimComposer by the following actions:

• In the resulting Examples window expand the VSim for Basic Physics option.
• Expand the Basic Examples (text-based setup) option.
• Select Parallel Plate Capacitor (text-based setup) and press the Choose button.
• In the resulting dialog, create a New Folder if desired, and press the Save button to create a copy of this example.

The basic variables of this problem should now be alterable via the text boxes in the left pane of the Setup Window, as shown in Fig. 160.

Fig. 160 Setup Window for the Parallel Plate Capacitor example.

## Input File Features

The input file allows one to choose the distance between the plates, width of the plates, voltage of the positive plate and the length of a time step (which is irrelevant as this is an electrostatic simulation)

## Running the Simulation

After performing the above actions, continue as follows:

• Proceed to the Run Window by pressing the Run button in the left column of buttons.
• To run the file, click on the Run button in the upper left corner of the Logs and output Files pane. You will see the output of the run in the right pane. The run has completed when you see the output, “Engine completed successfully.” This is shown in Fig. 161.

Fig. 161 The Run Window at the end of execution.

## Visualizing the Results

After performing the above actions, continue as follows:

• Proceed to the Visualize Window by pressing the Visualize button in the left column of buttons.

To visualize the electrostatic potential

• Expand Scalar Data
• Select phi
• Move the time slider to the right to view Dump 1

Fig. 162 shows the visualization seen.

Fig. 162 Visualization of plane wave as a color contour plot.

## Further Experiments

Change the GAP between the plates and see how the electric field changes.

Change a width, e.g., LY and see whether it has an effect on the electric field.

Change the voltage on the right plate and see if it effects the electric field.

Set the boundary conditions to non-periodic (0) and see how the electric field changes.