Electrostatic precipitator

Claim 1

An apparatus for the electrostatic removal of entrained particles from a gas stream which comprises a duct, means to pass a feed gas stream containing entrained discrete particles into said duct, said duct being of constant cross-sectional area in the direction of gas flow over the initial portion of the length of said duct and of progressively increased cross-sectional area in the direction of gas flow over the terminal portion of the length of said duct, whereby the linear velocity of flow of said gas stream is substantially constant through said initial duct portion and decreases through said terminal duct portion, a first plurality of parallel spaced apart linear banks of wires, each of said first banks containing a plurality of parallel spaced apart electrically charged wires and extending transversely into said initial portion of said duct, means to continuously maintain an electrical potential relative to ground on each of the wires in each of said first banks of wires, a primary foraminous plate, said primary plate being transversely disposed within said initial portion of said duct upstream of said first banks of wires and juxtaposed adjacent to the first bank of said banks of wires, whereby said feed gas stream containing entrained discrete particles initially passes through the plurality of openings in said primary plate, a first plurality of secondary foraminous plates, each of said first plurality of secondary plates being transversely disposed within said initial portion of said duct downstream of and spaced from one of said first banks of wires, a second plurality of parallel spaced apart linear banks of wires, each of said second banks containing a plurality of parallel spaced apart electrically charged wires and extending transversely into said terminal portion of said duct, means to continuously maintain an electrical potential relative to ground on each of the wires in each of said second banks of wires, a second plurality of secondary foraminous plates, each of said second plurality of secondary plates being transversely disposed within said terminal portion of said duct downstream of and spaced from one of said second banks of wires, said primary plate and said first and second plurality of secondary plates being connected to ground, the entire periphery of each of said plates being attached to said duct by a fluid-impervious connection, said primary and secondary plates being provided with substantially linear slits for gas flow, said slits being parallel with the wires in said banks, means to remove separated particles from said primary plate and said secondary plates, said separated particles being derived from said feed gas stream, and means to remove a product gas stream of depleted entrained particles content from said duct downstream of the last of said second plurality of secondary plates.

Claim 2

An apparatus for the electrostatic removal of entrained particles from a gas stream which comprises a duct, means to pass a feed gas stream containing entrained discrete particles into said duct, said duct being of constant cross-sectional area in the direction of gas flow over the initial portion of the length of said duct and of progressively increased cross-sectional area in the direction of gas flow over the terminal portion of the length of said duct, whereby the linear velocity of flow of said gas stream is substantially constant through said initial duct portion and decreases through said terminal duct portion, a first plurality of parallel spaced apart linear banks of wires, each of said first banks containing a plurality of parallel spaced apart electrically charged wires and extending transversely into said initial portion of said duct, means to continuously maintain an electrical potential relative to ground on each of the wires in each of said first banks of wires, a primary foraminous plate, said primary plate being transversely disposed within said initial portion of said duct upstream of said first banks of wires and juxtaposed adjacent to the first bank of said banks of wires, whereby said feed gas stream containing entrained discrete particles initially passes through the plurality of openings in said primary plate, a first plurality of secondary foraminous plates, each of said first plurality of secondary plates being transversely disposed within said initial portion of said duct downstream of and spaced from one of said first banks of wires, a second plurality of parallel spaced apart linear banks of wires, each of said second banks containing a plurality of parallel spaced apart electrically charged wires and extending transversely into said terminal portion of said duct, means to continuously maintain an electrical potential relative to ground on each of the wires in each of said second banks of wires, a second plurality of secondary foraminous plates, each of said second plurality of secondary plates being transversely disposed within said terminal portion of said duct downstream of and spaced from one of said second banks of wires, said primary plate and said first and second plurality of secondary plates being connected to ground, the entire periphery of each of said plates being attached to said duct by a fluid-impervious connection, said primary and secondary plates being provided with substantially linear slits for gas flow, said slits being parallel with the wires in said banks, means to remove separated particles from said primary plate and said secondary plates, said separated particles being derived from said feed gas stream, and means to remove a product gas stream of depleted entrained particles content from said duct downstream of the last of said second plurality of secondary plates.