Wet electrostatic precipitator having means for dampening the swaying of its discharge electrodes

An improved wet electrostatic precipitator including a housing having an inlet to receive gas to be treated and an outlet to discharge treated gas, a plurality of generally flat discharge electrodes, support means for rigidly suspending the electrodes from their upper ends within the housing in the flow path of the gas such that the electrodes are generally parallel to each other and substantially equidistantly spaced, charging means adapted for charging the electrodes with a high voltage, collector plate means positioned between each electrode and adapted when said electrode structure is charged for creating an electrostatic field for treating the gas and means for providing liquid on said plate means to flush particles therefrom, wherein the improvement comprises:

• each discharge electrode including a frame having a cross member adjacent its lower end, said support means includes support beams made from an electrically conductive material, means for rigidly and horizontally mounting the ends of the support beams to the precipitator housing, said charging means being electrically connected to the support beams, means for rigidly connecting the upper ends of the frames of the respective discharge electrodes to the beams to thereby establish a current path from the support beams to the discharge electrodes, and oscillation dampening means pendulously attached to the cross member of each discharge electrode structure in free-swinging frictional engagement therewith for dampening any incurred oscillation of the respective discharge electrode structure that may be induced by sparking between the electrode structures and the associated collector plate means.