Turbulent Gas Flow and Electrostatic Precipitation

Abstract

Recent research in the United States, Britain, and the Soviet Union has focused attention on the role of turbulence in modifying the effective particle migration velocity of electrostatic precipitation, if not the widely employed Deutsch precipitation equation itself. Due to circumstances of publication, contributions to this subject are unfamiliar to many precipitation workers. This paper reviews the literature in question in the light of recent data, particularly with respect to cross-sectional particle concentration profiles and the effect of the electric wind on gas movement. Under electrical and flow conditions similar to those that often prevail in practice, experimental data are presented suggesting that the electric wind makes a significant contribution to gas convection, and so probably should be considered in any comprehensive analysis of precipitator performance.