Effect of AC electrostatic precipitator on removal diesel exhaust particles

Collection of low resistive particulate matter (PM) generated from automobile and marine diesel engines or diesel generators have been known to be difficult by the conventional electrostatic precipitators (ESP). The collection efficiency for two types ESPs such as conventional DC energized ESP (DC ESP) and rectangular-AC-waveform energized ESP (AC ESP) were investigated. The low resistive PMs agglomerate like a pearl-chain on the collection plate in DC ESP, so that these are detached from the collection plate by electrostatic repulsion force and wind force. The pearl-chain particles are changed the shape, which is such a spherical, by AC ESP. Therefore, the particle re-entrainment is suppressed by AC ESP. © 2011 The Institute of Electrical Engineers of Japan.