Abstract: A composite rod design having a core element, the core element made of at least one flexible and resilient core, a foam cell material shaped into annulus configuration and having the core element snuggly located therein, the foam cell material having a length of at least equal to the length of the core element, and an outer covering provided upon the foam cell material and wrapped around the composite rod design to the extent necessary to provide the necessary diameter for the composite rod for convenient usage.

Abstract: A composite rod design having a core element, the core element made of at least one flexible and resilient core, a foam cell material shaped into annulus configuration and having the core element snuggly located therein, the foam cell material having a length of at least equal to the length of the core element, and an outer covering provided upon the foam cell material and wrapped around the composite rod design to the extent necessary to provide the necessary diameter for the composite rod for convenient usage.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a gas cleaning process and apparatus for removing solid and liquid aerosols entrained in a gas stream. The gas to be treated is passed through a wetted, electrostatically charged filter media. In accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the polarity of the electrostatic charge on the filter media is selected to enhance the removal of captured solid particles from the filter media. The apparatus is readily adaptable to a modular gas cleaning system configuration wherein varying numbers of the apparatus may be operated in parallel to provide a gas cleaning system of any desired gas flow capacity.

Abstract: Electrostatic spray apparatus including an electrode for generating a high-voltage corona, one or more sprayers for generating a spray of liquid droplets and for directing the droplets into the high-voltage corona whereby an electrical charge is imparted to the droplets. The conduit which supplies the liquid to the sprayers is electrically grounded so that liquid supplied to the sprayer device is at ground potential. The electrode is continuously maintained substantially clean and dry as it generates the high-voltage corona. A process for removing particulates from a gas stream is also disclosed.

Abstract: There is provided a fiber bed for removing liquid aerosols and soluble solids from a gas stream in a fiber bed mist eliminator. The fiber bed is in the form of a flexible mat having a void fraction of greater than about 0.89 and greater than about 700 net collection targets. The mat includes a layer of collecting fibers having an average fiber diameter between about 1 and about 5 .mu.m. The collecting fibers are stabilized by a plurality of stabilizing fibers which penetrate into and are disposed interstitially within the collecting fiber layer. The improved fiber bed of the present invention is field-replaceable and, by utilizing fibers having a small average diameter, the thickness of the fiber bed may be reduced.

Abstract: Nonwoven fiber bed mist eliminators in which at least one filter element is comprised of a fiber bed of syntheic polymer nonwoven material or fabric containing coalescing or collection sites wherein the ratio of the wet bed pressure drop to the dry bed pressure drop is essentially constant.

Abstract: Apparatus for charging and collecting submicron particles. The particles are charged by a needle-to-plate ionizer having offset rows of needles which are spaced from the plate such that voltage gradients of 6 KV/cm and higher are achieved. Needle-to-needle spacing and effective area of the plate are such that a corona current having a density of at least 4 ma/m.sup.2 flows between the needles and the plate. Charged particles are collected in a collecting section having a deflector electrode and a pair of collecting plates. The deflector electrode includes a conductor embedded in a dielectric material having a dielectric constant greater than 1, which dielectric material suppresses arcs between the deflector electrode and the collecting plates. Baffles are provided to collect efficiently and with low pressure drop those charged submicron particles not collected on the collecting plates.