Electrostatic filtering apparatus

Claim 1

AN ELECTROSTATIC FILTER FOR THE REMOVAL OF DUST PARTICLES FROM A DUST-LADEN GAS, COMPRISING A CASING HAVING AN UPPER CHAMBER HAVING AN INLET FOR DUST-LADEN GAS AND HAVING AN OUTLET; MEANS IN SAID CHAMBER TO SATURATE SAID DUST-LADEN GAS WITH A VAPOUR OF A LIQUID TO OBTAIN A SATURATED GAS; MEANS IN SAID CHAMBER TO SUPERSATURATE SAID SATURATED GAS WITH A FINE MIST OF DROPLETS OF SAID LIQUID TO OBTAIN A SATURATED AND SUPERSATURATED GAS; A MAIN VENTURI TUBE CONNECTED WITH SAID OUTLET THROUGH WHICH SAID SATURATED AND SUPERSATURATED GAS IS CAUSED TO PASS TO BE SUBMITTED TO A SUDDEN EXPANSION CAUSING CONDENSATION OF SAID VAPOUR ON SAID DUST PARTICLES IN THE FORM OF A LIQUID FILM, SAID MAIN VENTURI TUBE HAVING AN AXIS, A CONVERGING INLET PORTION, A DIVERGING OUTLET PORTION AND AN INTERMEDIATE NECK PORTION BETWEEN AND CONVERGING INLET PORTION AND SAID DIVERGING OUTLET PORTION; A SECONDARY VENTURI TUBE DISPOSED DOWNSTREAM OF SAID MAIN VENTURI AND IN LINE THEREWITH AND CONNECTED THERETO TO RECEIVE SAID SATURATED AND SUPERSATURATED GAS THEREFROM, SAID SECONDARY VENTURI TUBE ALSO HAVING AN AXIS, A CONVERGING INLET PORTION, A DIVERGING OUTLET PORTION AND AN INTERMEDIATE NECK PORTION; AN IONIZING ELECTRODE DISPOSED SUBSTANTIALLY AXIALLY IN SAID DIVERGING OUTLET PORTION OF SAID SECONDARY VENTURI TUBE TO IONIZE SAID DUST PARTICLES COVERED WITH A LIQUID FILM, SAID IONIZING ELECTRODE EXTENDING THROUGH SAID NECK PORTION OF SAID SECONDARY VENTURI TUBE BUT TERMINATING SHORT OF SAID DIVERGING OUTLET PORTION OF SAID MAIN VENTURI TUBE; MEANS TO IMPART A HIGH VELOCITY ROTATIONAL MOTION TO SAID SATURATED AND SUPERSATURATED GAS ABOUT THE AXIS OF SAID MAIN VENTURE TUBE IN THE DIVERGING OUTLET THEREOF, SAID MEANS BEING DISPOSED CLOSE TO SAID NECK PORTION OF SAID MEAN VENTURI TUBE IN SAID DIVERGING OUTLET PORTION THEREOF; MEANS TO COLLECT THE DUST PARTICLES IONIZED BY SAID ELECTRODE COMPRISING A COLLECTING CHAMBER DISPOSED DOWNSTREAM OF SAID SECONDARY VENTURI TUBE AND HAVING A GAS OUTLET AND A DISCHARGE CONDUIT; A GAS SCRUBBER IN SAID COLLECTING CHAMBER; AND PRECIPITATING SURFACES IN SAID COLLECTING CHAMBER DISPOSED BELOW THE SCRUBBER AND ABOVE SAID GAS OUTLET.