Electrostatic precipitator system

Claim 2

An electrostatic precipitator for removing particles entrained in a fluid stream comprising; a housing having a fluid inlet and a fluid outlet and forming therebetween a flow path for the fluid stream; at least one plate electrode member positioned transversely of the flow path and extending in a direction generally parallel to the directIon of flow from an upstream end adjacent the fluid inlet to a downstream end adjacent the fluid outlet; a plurality of pointed members spaced along the upstream end of each plate electrode member and extending upstream therefrom at an acute angle to the longitudinal centerline of the electrode member, said pointed members being symmetrically disposed on opposite sides of said longitudinal centerline; a plate collector electrode positioned on either side of each plate electrode member in generally parallel relation thereto, each collector electrode having an upstream end located upstream of the pointed members of the adjacent plate electrode member and a downstream end located adjacent the downstream end of said plate electrode member; and means for establishing a potential difference between each plate electrode member and the adjacent collector electrodes productive of (1) a corona discharge between each pointed member and the opposed region of each collector electrode that is directed in substantial part against the direction of flow and (2) a nondischarging precipitation field between the region of each plate electrode member downstream of the pointed members and the opposed region of each collector electrode.

Claim 3

An electrostatic precipitator as defined in claim 1 wherein a plurality of said plate electrode members are positioned within the flow path in spaced-apart generally parallel relation, and said plurality of electrode members are connected together at one edge thereof to form a first unitary plate assembly in parallel array.

Claim 4

An electrostatic precipitator as defined in claim 2 wherein the collector electrodes positioned on opposite sides of said plate electrode members are connected together at one edge thereof to form a second unitary plate assembly in parallel array.

Claim 5

An electrostatic precipitator as defined in claim 3 wherein said potential difference establishing means includes means for electrically grounding said collector electrodes and means for applying a negative potential to said plate electrode members.

Claim 6

An electrostatic precipitator as defined in claim 1 further comprising sump means for receiving and storing particles precipitated from the fluid stream.

Claim 7

An electrostatic precipitator as defined in claim 5 wherein each plate electrode member and collector electrode is vertically disposed within the housing; and the housing further includes a member forming a lower boundary for the flow path, said member having formed therein a plurality of apertures, and sump means positioned below said member for receiving therethrough particles precipitated from the fluid stream.

Claim 8

An electrostatic precipitator as defined in claim 6 wherein the collector electrodes are supported in parallel spaced relation to the associated plate electrode members by the lower boundary forming member.

Claim 9

An electrostatic precipitator as defined in claim 6 wherein: a plurality of plate electrode members are positioned within the flow path; said plurality of electrode members are connected together at their upper edges so as to form a first unitary plate assembly in parallel array; and the collector electrodes associated with said plurality of plate electrode members are connected together at their lower edges by the lower boundary forming member so as to form a second unitary plate assembly in parallel array, the plates of the first and second assemblies being interleaved.

Claim 10

An electrostatic precipitator as defined in claim 1 wherein the upstream ends of said pointed members extend outward of the sides of the associated plate electrode member so as to be positioned closer to the adjacent collector electrodes than any other part of the electrode member.

Claim 11

An electrostatic precipitator as defined in claim 1 wherein alternately spaced ones of said pointed members are disposed on opposite sides of the longitudinal centerline of the electrode member.

Claim 12

An air cleaning system for treating environmenTal air in a building enclosure, including means for flowing the environmental air through the system, a mechanical air filter at an upstream location within the system and an electrostatic precipitator for electrostatically removing particulates from the air at a downstream location within the system, wherein the improvement comprises; at least one plate electrode member positioned within the precipitator to extend from a upstream end adjacent the precipitator inlet in a direction generally parallel to the direction of flow to a downstream end adjacent the precipitator outlet, said upstream and downstream ends of each plate electrode member thereby extending transversely of the direction of flow; a plurality of pointed members spaced along the upstream end of each plate electrode member and extending upstream therefrom at an acute angle to the longitudinal centerline of the electrode member, said pointed members being symmetrically disposed on opposite sides of said longitudinal centerline; a plate collector electrode positioned on either side of each electrode member in generally parallel relation thereto and having an upstream end located upstream of the pointed members of the adjacent electrode member and a downstream end adjacent the downstream end of said electrode member; and means for establishing a potential difference between each electrode member and the adjacent collector electrodes productive of (1) a corona discharge between each pointed member and the opposed region of each collector electrode that is directed in substantial part against the direction of flow and (2) a nondischarging precipitation field between the region of each electrode member downstream of the pointed members and the opposed region of each collector electrode.

Claim 13

An air cleaning system for treating environmenTal air in a building enclosure, including means for flowing the environmental air through the system, a mechanical air filter at an upstream location within the system and an electrostatic precipitator for electrostatically removing particulates from the air at a downstream location within the system, wherein the improvement comprises; at least one plate electrode member positioned within the precipitator to extend from a upstream end adjacent the precipitator inlet in a direction generally parallel to the direction of flow to a downstream end adjacent the precipitator outlet, said upstream and downstream ends of each plate electrode member thereby extending transversely of the direction of flow; a plurality of pointed members spaced along the upstream end of each plate electrode member and extending upstream therefrom at an acute angle to the longitudinal centerline of the electrode member, said pointed members being symmetrically disposed on opposite sides of said longitudinal centerline; a plate collector electrode positioned on either side of each electrode member in generally parallel relation thereto and having an upstream end located upstream of the pointed members of the adjacent electrode member and a downstream end adjacent the downstream end of said electrode member; and means for establishing a potential difference between each electrode member and the adjacent collector electrodes productive of (1) a corona discharge between each pointed member and the opposed region of each collector electrode that is directed in substantial part against the direction of flow and (2) a nondischarging precipitation field between the region of each electrode member downstream of the pointed members and the opposed region of each collector electrode.

Claim 14

An electrostatic precipitator as defined in claim 11 wherein said potential difference establishing means and said means for passing air through the system are independently energizable.