Moving electrode electrostatic particle precipitator

Claim 2

AN ELECTROSTATIC PRECIPITATOR INCLUDING A HOUSING HAVING FLUID INLET AND OUTLET MEANS, ELECTRODE INLET AND OUTLET MEANS, A PLURALITY OF PLANAR ARRAYS OF WIRE POSITIONED IN THE STREAM OF FLUID CONTAINING PARTICLES WITHIN SAID HOUSING, A PLURALITY OF METALLIC PLATES OF GENERALLY RECTANGULAR SHAPE, THE SHORTER DIMENSION OF WHICH BEING DISPOSED PARALLEL TO THE DIRECTION OF MOVEMENT OF THE PLATES, THE LONGER DIMENSION OF WHICH BEING DISPOSED PERPENDICULAR TO THE DIRECTION OF MOVEMENT OF THE PLATES, POSITIONED ADJACENT TO ONE ANOTHER AND ADAPTED TO BE POSITIONED BETWEEN THE ARRAYS OF WIRE, THE PLATES FORMING A COLLECTING ELECTRODE HAVING MULTIPLE RAISED AND DEPRESSED PORTIONS ON THE SURFACE OF THE PLATES FORMING ALTERNATELY OPEN TOPPED, OPEN BOTTOM ENCLOSED AREAS FOR CREATING REGIONS OF

Claim 3

The precipitator according to claim 1 wherein the plates are separated from adjacent plates so that they do not touch.

Claim 4

The precipitator according to claim 1 including means associated directly with said plates and said means for moving said plates connecting said plates to said moving means such that said plates may be replaced individually.

Claim 5

In an electrostatic particle precipitator of the type having a housing containing a fluid inlet and a fluid outlet, a plurality of metallic planar electrodes of relatively large surface area at ground potential positioned parallel to each other and parallel to the fluid flow within said housing, a plurality of planar arrays of wire of relatively small surface area positioned in the respective midplanes between adjacent planar electrodes, and means connected to the arrays for subjecting the same to high corona-producing potentials, whereby particles entrained in the gasses flowing between the arrays of the electrodes are electro-mechanically deposited upon said planar electrodes, an improvement wherein the planar electrodes are formed into an articulated endless belt, the belt including a plurality of separates metal strips of extended length in the direction of gas flow and of short width in the direction of belt travel, each strip having multiple raised and depressed portions of dimension smaller than those of the surface of the strip on the surface of the strip forming alternately open topped, open bottom enclosed areas for creating regions which have reduced electric field to enhance particle collection therein and which are shielded from the gas flow, each strip being mechanically connected at each short end thereof to an endless, linked roller chain to form an almost closed surface, said chains being engaged by an arrangement of supported lower sprockets, means for moving the strips successively between at least three planar wire arrays at high potential and thence to a region separated from said corona and said flowing gasses, and means in said region for removing successively from each strip the particles adherent to its surface, whereby re-entrainment in the gas flow of particle accumulations from the grounded electrodes is reduced.

Claim 6

In an electrostatic particle precipitator of the type having a housing containing a fluid inlet and a fluid outlet, a plurality of metallic planar electrodes of relatively large surface area at ground potential positioned parallel to each other and parallel to the fluid flow within said housing, a plurality of planar arrays of wire of relatively small surface area positioned in the respective midplanes between adjacent planar electrodes, and means connected to the arrays for subjecting the same to high corona-producing potentials, whereby particles entrained in the gasses flowing between the arrays of the electrodes are electro-mechanically deposited upon said planar electrodes, an improvement wherein the planar electrodes are formed into an articulated endless belt, the belt including a plurality of separates metal strips of extended length in the direction of gas flow and of short width in the direction of belt travel, each strip having multiple raised and depressed portions of dimension smaller than those of the surface of the strip on the surface of the strip forming alternately open topped, open bottom enclosed areas for creating regions which have reduced electric field to enhance particle collection therein and which are shielded from the gas flow, each strip being mechanically connected at each short end thereof to an endless, linked roller chain to form an almost closed surface, said chains being engaged by an arrangement of supported lower sprockets, means for moving the strips successively between at least three planar wire arrays at high potential and thence to a region separated from said corona and said flowing gasses, and means in said region for removing successively from each strip the particles adherent to its surface, whereby re-entrainment in the gas flow of particle accumulations from the grounded electrodes is reduced.

Claim 7

The precipitator according to claim 1 wherein each strip has a fixed alignment with respect to the portion of the chain to which it is attached.

Claim 8

An electrostatic particle precipitator including a housing having fluid inlet and outlet means, electrode inlet and outlet means, a plurality of planar arrays of wire positioned in the stream of fluid containing particles within said housing, a plurality of metallic plates of generally rectangular shape, the shorter dimension of which being disposed parallel to the direction of movement of the plates, the longer dimension of which being disposed perpendicular to the direction of movement of the plates, positioned adjacent to one another and adapted to be positioned between the arrays of wire, the plates forming a collecting electrode and having multiple raised and depressed areas of alternately open top, open bottom rectangular box shape on the surface of the plates for creating regions of dimensions smaller than those of the plates which have reduced electric fields to enhance particle collection therein and which are shielded from the fluid stream to reduce re-entrainment of the collected particles, means for producing a corona discharge between the arrays of wire and the collecting electrode, and means connected successively to the shorter dimension each of the plates of the collecting electrode for moving the plates around an endless path formed by said electrode between successive arrays of wire and extending outside said housing through said electrode inlet and electrode outlet means provided therein.

Claim 9

An electrostatic particle precipitator including a housing having fluid inlet and outlet means, electrode inlet and outlet means, a plurality of planar arrays of wire positioned in the stream of fluid containing particles within said housing, a plurality of metallic plates of generally rectangular shape, the shorter dimension of which being disposed parallel to the direction of movement of the plates, the longer dimension of which being disposed perpendicular to the direction of movement of the plates, positioned adjacent to one another and adapted to be positioned between the arrays of wire, the plates forming a collecting electrode and having multiple raised and depressed areas of alternately open top, open bottom rectangular box shape on the surface of the plates for creating regions of dimensions smaller than those of the plates which have reduced electric fields to enhance particle collection therein and which are shielded from the fluid stream to reduce re-entrainment of the collected particles, means for producing a corona discharge between the arrays of wire and the collecting electrode, and means connected successively to the shorter dimension each of the plates of the collecting electrode for moving the plates around an endless path formed by said electrode between successive arrays of wire and extending outside said housing through said electrode inlet and electrode outlet means provided therein.

Claim 10

The precipitator according to claim 6 wherein said multiple raised and depressed areas are of alternately open top, open bottom cylindrical shape.