Electrostatically enhanced separator (EES)

An apparatus for separating particles from a gas stream comprising a walled separation vessel having a length and respective ends and further having a substantially cylindrical separation chamber formed therein, respective spaced-apart inlet and outlet passage means formed in the separation vessel along the length thereof and communicating with the separation chamber therein, the inlet and outlet passage means being shaped as narrow slits extending said length of the separation vessel, such that a particulate-laden gas stream is received through the inlet passage means into the separation chamber tangentially to the walls thereof, and such that a particulate-concentrated gas stream is expelled from the separation chamber tangentially to the wall therof through the outlet passage means, a permeable core separator mounted within the separation vessel substantially concentrically of the separation chamber therein, means for directing a clean gas stream axially through the separation vessel and through the permeable core separator therein from one end of the separation vessel and through the other end thereof, thereby creating a vortex in the separation chamber which imparts a centrifugal force on the particles towards the wall of the separation vessel, means for pre-charging the particles in the particulate-laden gas stream upstream of the outlet passage means and at a given polarity, and means for establishing an electrostatic field between the permeable core separator and the walls of the separation vessel at the same polarity as the charge imparted on the particles, thereby repelling the particles from entering into the permeable core separator and propelling the particles towards the wall of the separation vessel, and thereby augmenting the centrifugal force to propel particles against the wall and outwardly through the outlet passage means.

An apparatus for separating particles from a gas stream, comprising:

• a walled separation vessel having a length and opposite ends and further having a substantiality cylindrical separation chamber formed therein;
• respective spaced-apart inlet and outlet passages formed in the separation vessel as narrow slits extending along the full length thereof and communicating with the separation chamber therein, such that a particulate laden gas stream is received through the inlet passage into the separation chamber tangentially to the walls of the separation vessel, such that a particulate concentrated gas stream is expelled from the separation chamber through the outlet passage tangentially to the walls of the separation vessel, and such that said particulate laden gas stream and said particulate concentrated gas stream create a vortex in the separation chamber which imparts a centrifugal force on the particles towards the walls of the separation vessel;
• vortex finders longitudinally mounted within the separation vessel and defining an outgoing clean air path through said opposite ends thereof, wherein an inlet gap for the clean air from the separation chamber into said outgoing clean air path is maintained between said vortex finders;
• a discharge electrode mounted within the separation vessel for imparting a charge of a certain polarity on the particles within the separation chamber;
• and
• a power supply establishing an electrostatic field between the discharge electrode and the walls of the separation vessel, such that the established electrostatic field repels the charged particles towards the walls of the separation vessel, thereby preventing entrance of the charged particles into the outgoing clean air path.