Three-dimensional analysis of electrohydrodynamic flow in a spiked electrode-plate electrostatic precipitator

A three-dimensional numerical model has been created to evaluate the electrical and electrohydrodynamic characteristics of a single spiked wire-plate electrostatic precipitator. The hybrid Finite Element - Flux Corrected Transport numerical technique is used for solving the Poisson and current continuity equations to estimate the electric potential and ion charge density distributions in the precipitation channel. The fully three-dimensional turbulent airflow distribution is calculated using the commercial FLUENT software assuming a standard kappa-epsilon turbulence model. A non-uniform corona discharge is assumed, as it is produced along the electrode in the form of a flat tape with some number of spikes. The EHD secondary flow pattern and its interaction with the main airflow in different planes along the precipitation channel are examined for different voltages applied to the corona spiked electrode. The numerical results are compared with experimental data published in the literature. (C) 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.