Fiber-rejecting corona discharge electrode and a filtering system employing the discharge electrode

A system for filtering fibers and particulates from a gas stream comprising:

• a fiber separator for positioning in the path of a gas stream for removing fibers in gross quantities from said gas stream;
• a corona charging apparatus for positioning within said path downstream of the fiber separator for imparting electric charge to particulates in said gas stream and to fibers that escape removal from said gas stream by the fiber separator, the corona charging apparatus including a fiber-rejecting corona discharge electrode having a shielding member connected to a corona discharge member such that said shielding member faces generally upstream and said corona discharge member faces generally downstream when positioned in the path of said gas stream such that the shielding member shields said corona discharge member from entanglement with fibers in said gas stream, the radius of curvature of said shielding member being larger than the radius of curvature of said corona discharge member in a plane perpendicular to the direction of elongation of the electrode, and the cross-sectional perimeter around said electrode being greater than 1.25 inches;
• and
• an electro-static filter medium positioned downstream of the corona charging apparatus for removing electrically charged particulates and fibers from said gas stream.