Detector for detecting voltage breakdowns on the high-voltage side of an electric precipitator

In a detector for detecting voltage breakdowns on the high-voltage side of an electric precipitator coupled to the detector, the voltage of the precipitator being supplied from an a-c network through a thyristor control circuit coupled to said a-c network, a high-voltage transformer coupled in series relationship to said thyristor control circuit, and a rectifier coupled in series relationship to said high-voltage transformer, said precipitator being coupled in series relationship to said rectifier, and said detector continuously comparing characteristic parameters of successive half-waves of periodical variations of the voltage at the precipitator, a predetermined deviation between successive characteristic parameters being a criterion for determining a breakdown of the precipitator voltage, the improvement comprising said detector including means for detecting a decrease of the precipitator voltage below a minimum value of the periodical precipitator voltage during continuous operation of said precipitator, said decrease of said precipitator voltage below said minimum value comprising said criterion for determining a breakdown of said precipitator voltage.