Electrohydrodynamic Turbulent Flow in a Wide Wire-Plate Electrostatic Precipitator Measured by 3D PIV Method

Abstract

In this paper, results of 3-dimensional Particle Image Velocimetry (3D PIV) measurements of the flow velocity fields in a relatively wide wire-plate type ESP are presented. The ESP used in this work was an acrylic parallelepiped (10 cm × 20 cm × 100 cm) with a wire discharge electrode and two plate collecting electrodes. Air flow seeded with a cigarette smoke was blown along the ESP duct with an average velocity of 0.6 m/s. Either positive or negative DC voltage was applied to the wire electrode through a 10 MΩ resistor. The applied voltage was up to 28 kV. The 3D PIV velocity fields measurements were carried out in four parallel planes stretched along the ESP duct, perpendicularly to the wire electrode and plate electrodes. The measured flow structures show complex nature of the EHD-induced secondary flow in the ESP. The measured flow was turbulent and exhibit 3D structures caused by the side-wall effect.