The effectiveness of electrostatic haze removal scheme and the optimization of electrostatic precipitator based on the charged properties of airborne haze particles: Experiment and simulation

Abstract

Haze extremely affects the human’s life and global climate. Some air purification equipment based on electrostatic adsorption technology has appeared in people’s lives. However, charged properties of haze particles remain poorly understood which means that the effectiveness of the equipment still needs to discuss. Hence, a series of experiments were conducted to investigate the charge properties of airborne haze particles in this paper. The experimental results show that approximately 60% of the total airborne haze particles are charged, with positively charged and negatively charged particles coexisting. In light of these findings, the electrostatic precipitator was optimized to work efficiently for a long time in haze days. In addition, a numerical model was developed to verify the effectiveness of the electrostatic haze removal scheme (EHRS). The simulation results suggest that it can form a purified airspace (PAS) near the surface if we apply an appropriate voltage to the electrode plate on the ground. The height of the PAS is related to the magnitude of voltage we applied and the purification efficiency depends on the proportion of charged particles. It indicates that the EHRS can theoretically alleviate the haze pollution. To put this scheme into practice, we suggest increasing the intensity of applied voltage and spraying the ions into the air to shorten the time of forming a stable PAS and improve purification efficiency. Finally, we recommend that an optimized electrostatic precipitator can be installed on the chimney to control the anthropogenic emissions.