Effectiveness of Electrostatically Charged Water Spray in Reducing Dust Concentration in Enclosed Spaces

Abstract

This research investigated the potential of electrostatically charged water spray in reducing dust concentration in airspaces under controlled laboratory conditions. Test particles (i.e., corn starch and NaHCO3) were each aerosolized into in an enclosed experimental chamber (L = 3.6 m, W = 2.4 m, H = 2.4 m). Charged water droplets were then sprayed into the chamber. An Aerodynamic Particle SizerTM (APS) spectrometer was used to measure the particle concentration and size distribution. In addition, a tapered element oscillating microbalance (TEOM) was used to measure the mass concentration. From the APS and TEOM data, the particle removal efficiency of the charged water spray was determined. The particle removal efficiency of the charged water spray was significantly greater than that for the uncharged water spray. Results also showed that longer charged spray durations (i.e., 4 and 6 min) were more effective than the shorter spray duration (i.e., 2 min) in removing airborne particles. In addition, the polarity of the charged water droplets (negative vs. positive) did not significantly affect the removal efficiency of the charged water spray.