Electrostatic precipitator for collection of multiple pollutants

An electrostatic precipitator comprising:

• a housing defining a gas flow path;
• a gas entry port through which gas enters said housing;
• duct means, outside said housing, for conveying a gas discharged from a gas generating means to said gas entry port;
• a gas exit port through which gas is discharged from said housing;
• a plurality of collector sections disposed in said housing and located between said gas entry port and said gas exit port, each comprising a plurality of parallel, grounded collector plates, said grounded collector plates having an upstream end oriented in the direction from which gas is flowing from said gas inlet port and a downstream end oriented in the direction toward which gas is flowing to the gas exit port, said grounded collector plates being spaced by a distance .delta. to define a plurality of gas flow lanes therebetween, said grounded collector plates defining the length of said collector section as between 2.delta. and 4.delta. in the direction of gas flow, and at least one collector section corona discharge electrode located within each gas flow lane between the parallel grounded collector plates;
• a plurality of charging sections alternating in series with said collector sections, each collector section being immediately preceded by a charging section, each of said charging sections comprising a linear array, aligned transverse to said gas flow path, of a plurality of charging section corona discharge electrodes and charging section grounded collector electrodes alternating with said charging section discharge electrodes;
• wherein the upstream ends of the grounded collector plates of each collector section are each mechanically connected to one of the grounded collector electrodes of the charging section just upstream of the collector section, and wherein the downstream ends of the grounded collector plates of each collector section, except for the grounded collector plates of the collector section that is the last collector section through which gas passes before passing through the gas exit port, are each mechanically connected to one of the grounded collector electrodes of the charging section just downstream of the collector section;
• means for applying a first voltage to establish first electric field lines extending from each of said charging section corona discharge electrodes to adjacent charging section grounded collector electrodes, but not to the grounded collector plates;
• and
• means for applying a second voltage to establish second electric field lines extending from said collector section corona discharge electrode to adjacent grounded collector plates, but not to charging section grounded collector electrodes.

A process for removing particulates from a gas comprising:

• providing an electrostatic precipitator including at least one charging section and at least one electrostatic collector section disposed downstream of said charging section, within a housing defining a gas flow path;
• said electrostatic collector section having a plurality of grounded collector plates defining a plurality of gas flow lanes and a linear array of first corona discharge electrodes centered within each of said gas flow lanes;
• said charging section having a linear array of alternating second corona discharge electrodes and grounded collector electrodes transverse to said gas flow path, each of said grounded collector electrodes of said charging section being mechanically joined to a terminal end of at least one of said grounded collector plates of said electrostatic collector section;
• a gas entry port in said housing upstream of said charging section;
• a transition zone between said gas entry port and said charging section;
• a gas exit port in said housing downstream of said electrostatic collector section;
• and duct means, outside said housing, for conveying gas discharged from a gas generating means to said gas entry port;
• passing the gas through said charging and electrostatic collector sections;
• applying a first voltage to establish first electric field lines extending from each of the first corona discharge electrodes to adjacent grounded collector plates in said electrostatic collector section, but not to the grounded collector electrodes;
• applying a second voltage to establish second electric field lines extending from each of the second corona discharge electrodes to the adjacent grounded collector electrodes in said charging section, but not to the grounded collector plates;
• and
• collecting particulates from the gas on the grounded collector plates of said electrostatic collector section, thereby purifying the gas prior to exit through the gas exit port.

An electrostatic precipitator comprising:

• a housing defining a gas flow path;
• at least one collection section within said housing, said collection section having a plurality of parallel grounded collector plates defining a plurality of gas flow lanes therebetween and a plurality of charged electrode plates parallel to said grounded collector plates and centered within respective gas flow lanes;
• at least one charging section within said housing immediately upstream of said collection section, said charging section having a linear array of alternating discharge and grounded collector electrodes transverse to the gas flow path, said grounded collector electrodes each being mechanically joined to a terminal end of at least one grounded collector electrode plate;
• means for applying a first voltage between said discharge electrodes and said grounded collector electrodes in said charging section;
• means for applying a second voltage between said grounded collector plates and said charged electrode plates in said collection section, and establishing an electric field without current flow between each of said charged electrode plates and adjacent grounded collector plates;
• and
• spray means for washing collected particulates off said grounded collector plates in said collection section.

An electrostatic precipitator comprising:

• a housing defining a gas flow path;
• at least one collection section within said housing, said collection section having a plurality of parallel grounded collector plates defining a plurality of gas flow lanes therebetween and a linear array of first corona discharge electrodes centered within each of said gas flow lanes;
• at least one charging section within said housing immediately upstream of said collection section, said charging section having a linear array of alternating second corona discharge electrodes and grounded collector electrodes transverse to the gas flow path, said grounded collector electrodes of said charging section each being mechanically joined to a terminal end of at least one of the grounded collector plates of said collector section;
• a gas entry port in said housing upstream of said charging section;
• a gas exit port in said housing downstream of said collection section;
• means for applying a first voltage to establish first electric field lines extending from each of said first corona discharge electrodes to adjacent grounded collector plates, but not to said grounded collector electrodes;
• and
• means for applying a second voltage to establish second electric field lines extending from each of said second corona discharge electrodes to adjacent grounded collector electrodes, but not to said grounded collector plates.