Electrostatic precipitator

An electrostatic precipitator removes suspended particles from a gas by charging them electrically and collecting them on oppositely charged or grounded surfaces.

Corona discharge: An electrical discharge around a conductor that ionizes nearby gas without creating a complete spark. Its ions transfer electrical charge to particles in the gas.
Electric field: A physical field that exerts force on electric charges at each point in space. The field moves charged particles from the gas toward collecting plates.
Flue-gas desulfurization: A process that removes sulfur dioxide from exhaust gases, usually by contacting them with a sorbent. It is often paired with particulate collection in power-plant exhaust treatment.
Baghouse: A dust-collection system that passes gas through fabric filters to retain particles. Fabric filtration captures dust mechanically rather than charging it electrically.
Air pollution control: Methods and technologies used to reduce pollutants released into the atmosphere. Precipitators are one established technology within industrial emission control.
Coulomb's law: A law describing the force between electric charges as proportional to their product and inversely proportional to distance squared. It describes the force that drives charged particles toward collecting electrodes.
Electrical resistivity: A material property describing how strongly a substance opposes electric current. Dust resistivity affects whether deposits release cleanly or cause electrical problems.
Coal-fired power station: A power plant that generates electricity by burning coal to produce steam. Large boilers have used precipitators to control fly ash in flue gas.
Wet scrubber: An air-pollution control device that contacts gas with liquid to capture contaminants. Liquid contact can remove particles where dry electrical collection is unsuitable.
Fly ash: Fine mineral residue carried out of boilers when coal is burned. Precipitators capture fly ash, which may be disposed of or reused.

Linked from 11 pages