Two-stage electrostatic precipitator using induction charging

An electrostatic precipitator (ESP) without using corona discharge was investigated herein. The ESP employed a two-stage configuration, consisting of an induction charging-based particle charger and a parallel plate type particle collector. By applying a high voltage of several kV, under which no corona discharge was generated in the charger, particles were charged by induction due to contact with charger electrodes. The amount of charge on the charged particles increased with the applied voltage and turbulent air flow in the charger. Performance of the ESP equipped with the induction charger was investigated using ambient air. The removal efficiency for particles ranging 0.3 mu m to 5 mu m in diameter increased with applied voltage and turbulence intensity of gas flow in the charger when the applied voltage was sufficiently low not to generate corona discharge. This suggests that induction charging can be used for electrostatic precipitation, which can reduce ozone generation and power consumption significantly.