Multi-concentric wet electrostatic precipitator

Claim 1

An electrostatic wet precipitator comprising: a. concentrically arranged collector tubes defining at least one vertically-disposed annular gas passage, said collector tubes having hollow walls, corrugations being disposed between the hollow walls and making an acute angle with respect to the horizontal plane to impart a circular motion to liquid fed to the upper end thereof, b. means to produce downwardly-flowing films of liquid on the complementary surfaces of adjacent tubes which line said passage thereby to form liquid collectors, said means including conduits running through said hollow walls to supply liquid to the upper ends of the tubes to spill over the walls thereof, and a concave deflector above the upper end of each tube to direct liquid impinging thereon down the inner and outer surfaces of the tube, c. a discharge-electrode structure disposed within said passage in spaced relation to said liquid collectors; d. inlet means including a Venturi opening to feed a contaminated gaseous stream into the lower end of each passage to produce an expanding gas which flows upwardly through said passage in countercurrent relationship to said liquid films to force said films against said surfaces to maintain the uniformity thereof, e. means to apply a high voltage between said dischargeelectrode structure and said liquid collectors to ionize the contaminants in the gaseous stream flowing through said passage to cause migration of contaminants toward said liquid collectors and thereby purify the gas; and f. outlet means at the upper end of said passage to discharge the purified gas.