Electrohydrodynamically Assisted Electrostatic Precipitator for the Collection of Low-Resistivity Dust

The collection of low-resistivity particles is difficult by the conventional electrostatic precipitators (ESPs). The low-resistivity diesel engine particles are detached from a collection plate, which causes dust re-entrainment, resulting in a poor collection efficiency. The new electrohydrodynamically (EHD)-assisted ESP (EHD ESP) was developed to minimize re-entrainment. The EHD ESP utilizes the ionic wind, combined with electrostatic force to transport the charged particles effectively into the pocket zone attached to the collection plate. The pocket zones are designed as zero electrostatic field, i.e., no electrostatic repulsion force acting on particles by induction charge, so that no re-entrainment takes place. The electrode position with respect to pocket position influences the EHD streamlines and particle collection processes. The optimum electrode position was determined by observing the collection transport process into the pocket zone and collection efficiency. The particle-size-dependent collection efficiency was evaluated using a scanning mobility particle sizer and a particle counter.