A. Niewulis

Recent progress in experimental studies of electro-hydrodynamic flow in electrostatic precipitators

Many experimental, theoretical and numerical works were devoted to the electrohydrodynamic (EHD) flow generated in electrostatic precipitators (EPSs). The generally accepted conclusion from these studies is that the EHD flow plays an important role in the particle collection in ESPs. However, despite of the recent fast progress in numerical simulation and experimental techniques used in the ESPs studies many problems related to the influence of the EHD flow on the performance of ESPs are unsolved. In particular, the influence of the turbulent EHD on submicron particles transport and deposition in ESPs is ambiguous. This problem and other related to the particle collection in ESPs are objectives of this paper, basing on the recent progress in experimental investigations of the EHD flow in ESPs.

Pumping Effect Measured by PIV Method in a Multilayer Spike Electrode EHD Device for Air Cleaning

Dust particles can be harmful for human health when inhaled. Particularly dangerous are submicrometer dust particles, which can contain traces of toxic elements and can easily penetrate into the human respiratory system. Thus, efficient devices for the air cleaning from submicrometer dust particles are needed. Recently, Katatani and Mizuno have proposed an electrohydrodynamic (EHD) device for air cleaning for submicrometer particles. In this paper, we present the flow velocity field patterns in an EHD device for air cleaning, which is similar to that of Katatani and Mizuno. The presented EHD device had a set of the stressed plate electrodes with spike tips and the grounded electrodes also in the form of plates. The parametric studies of the flow velocity patterns in such an EHD device using particle image velocimetry were made by us for a different electrode arrangement.

Electrohydrodynamic Turbulent Flow in a Wide Wire-Plate Electrostatic Precipitator Measured by 3D PIV Method

In this paper, results of 3-dimensional Particle Image Velocimetry (3D PIV) measurements of the flow velocity fields in a relatively wide wire-plate type ESP are presented. The ESP used in this work was an acrylic parallelepiped (10 cm × 20 cm × 100 cm) with a wire discharge electrode and two plate collecting electrodes. Air flow seeded with a cigarette smoke was blown along the ESP duct with an average velocity of 0.6 m/s. Either positive or negative DC voltage was applied to the wire electrode through a 10 MΩ resistor. The applied voltage was up to 28 kV. The 3D PIV velocity fields measurements were carried out in four parallel planes stretched along the ESP duct, perpendicularly to the wire electrode and plate electrodes. The measured flow structures show complex nature of the EHD-induced secondary flow in the ESP. The measured flow was turbulent and exhibit 3D structures caused by the side-wall effect.

PIV laser method for investigations of the dust density influence on the dust flow structure in electrostatic precipitator

In this paper, results of Particle Image Velocimetry (PIV) measurements of the flow velocity field in an electrostatic precipitator (ESP) are presented. The ESP was an acrylic parallelepiped with a wire discharge electrode and two plate collecting electrodes placed on the top and bottom of the ESP. The measurements were carried out for various dust densities. The obtained results showed that the general shape of the flow patterns at different dust densities is similar in the bulk of the flow. However, the flow velocities and level of turbulences strongly depends on the dust density, in particular in the downstream region of the ESP, behind the wire electrode.