Performances of two-stage electrostatic precipitator with different types of discharge electrodes of unipolar electrostatic agglomerator

Current-voltage characteristics of electrostatic agglomerator with three types of discharge electrodes, operating as the first stage of a two-stage electrostatic precipitator, and the effects of its operating parameter on the removal efficiency of this system for PM10 particles have been investigated. The results shown that the removal efficiency of the system of this specific design only weakly depends on the supply voltage of the AC kinematic electrostatic agglomerator in the supply voltage range of 18-26 kV. A synergistic effect between the operation of electrostatic agglomerator and electrostatic precipitator was obtained. By this effect, the removal efficiency of the whole system, i.e., the electrostatic agglomerator and electrostatic precipitator operating simultaneously, is higher than that determined as the combination of the removal efficiencies obtained for both of these stages operating alone. The effect of synergy results from the agglomeration of fly ash particles in the electrostatic agglomerator stage that decreases the concentration of small particles and increases their removal efficiency by electrostatic precipitator.