Hopper system and electrostatic gun for injection of an electrostatically charged sorbent into a polluted gas stream

A hopper system and electrostatic gun for injection of an electrostatic charge sorbent into a polluted gas stream as part of an apparatus for removing particulate matter and gaseous pollutants comprising, a hopper system including a bin that has inner connected upstanding side walls that can be opened for receiving and maintaining a volume of a dry sorbent material;

• means for providing a flow of a measured volume of dry sorbent materials through a conduit means for mixing with a flow of air under pressure;
• a blower means connected to said conduct means to pass a controlled air flow into said conduit means for mixing with said volume of dry sorbent materials and conveying said mix through a sorbent feed line connected into an electrostatic gun;
• an electrostatic gun including a housing containing a straight barrel having a smooth inner bore including a fitting means for connecting to said sorbent feed line to receive said flow of dry sorbent , which said barrel bore opens therethrough for providing passage to said flow of dry sorbent and connects, at an open forward end, to a tube for receiving the electrostatically charged sorbent particles and injecting them into a polluted gas stream;
• a charging wand, formed from a straight section of an electrically conductive material maintained longitudinally in the center of said barrel, and connects, at a rear end of said charging wand, to an insulator means;
• an insulator means with means for connection to said charging wand and to a variable source of electrical power to transmit electrical power through said insulator means to said charging wand so as to produce a corona discharge surrounding said charging want to electrostatically charge individual particles of sorbent material that pass thereby and are dispersed into said polluted gas stream;
• and means for adjusting the electrical power supplied to said charging wand to provide a maximum electrostatic charge to approximately all said particles of sorbent materials as are passed through said straight barrel.