Abstract: The present invention is directed to a method of removing aerosols using a radiation effect.

Abstract: An electrostatic air cleaner is disclosed for use in removing particulate matter from moving streams of air. A high voltage ionizer is used as a corona source to ionize the particulate matter as it approaches the air filter portion of the electrostatic air cleaner. The air filter uses reticulated polyether foam filter media for collecting the particulate matter, and the filter media is non-deliquescent, thus preventing the high-voltage electric field from being dissipated by imbedded water vapor, which is the cause of filter inefficiency in the prior art. In one embodiment, the air filter uses strips of conductive material raised to a very high DC voltage interleaved between strips of conductive material held to ground potential, and these strips are oriented so as to be parallel to the direction of the air flow through the air filter's foam filter media, thereby creating an electric field that is perpendicular to the direction of air flow.

Abstract: A device for controlling the motion of particles suspended in a gas stream is provided, including a pipe, through which at least a fraction of the gas stream flows, a source of AC voltage, a source of DC voltage, and a plurality of electrode sets positioned within the pipe in series, generating an inhomogeneous electric field to cause the particles suspended in the gas stream to concentrate into a narrow axial region in the center of the pipe. Each electrode set includes a first pair of opposed hyperboloidally shaped electrodes connected to the AC voltage source and a second pair of opposed hyperboloidally shaped electrodes connected to the DC voltage. The first and second pairs of opposed electrodes are positioned at spaced apart intervals around the circumference of the pipe to define an opening through which at least a fraction of the gas stream flows. The electrode sets are positioned within the pipe in series such that the gas stream flows through the openings defined by each successive electrode set.

Abstract: A device for use in an electrostatic precipitator including an electrically insulating disk having a hole, which may be a venturi-shaped passage, for receiving a tie rod and an arrangement for supporting the tie rod in the hole so as to allow a fluid to flow through the hole between an inside surface of the hole and the tie rod. An air stream deflector may be mounted on the tie rod to provide further protection and help direct air flow. A recirculating flow system may also be provided to direct clean air through the venturi-shaped passage.

Abstract: An oily mist resistant electret filter media is provided. The filter media includes polypropylene electret fibers and a melt processable fluorochemical additive. The additive has a melt temperature of at least 25.degree. C. and a molecular weight of about 500 to 2500. Also provided is a method for filtering particulate material from air containing oily aerosol particles.

Abstract: An electrostatically stimulated air filter and process, contemplates a housing having an fluid intake and a fluid exhaust; a upstream electrode, disposed downstream of the fluid intake, for carrying a ground potential; a filter, disposed downstream of the prefilter, for filtering out contaminants in the fluid; an ionizing electrode, disposed between the filter and the prefilter, for carrying a second potential; and a downstream electrode, disposed downstream of the filter, for carrying a ground potential; and a fan, downstream of the filter, for driving air through the prefilter and the filter. Ionization of incoming fluid occurs as a result of electric fields generated by the downstream electrode, the ionizing electrode, and the upstream electrode. The filter comprises an upstream dielectric layer and a downstream conductive layer, usually fibers coated with activated carbon powder.

Abstract: The invention describes a device for transporting materials which has at least a first pipe (I) and a second pipe (II), each having a six-cornered, honeycomb-shaped flow cross section, the first pipe (I) having at least two first wall parts (1) which are not arranged adjacent to one another and whose longitudinal edges (1') are arranged at a first distance (a) from the connection point (3) between the first wall part (1) and the adjacent second wall part (2), which connection point (3) is nearest to the longitudinal edge (1'). Plate-shaped brackets (4) are arranged at the sides of the first wall parts (1) remote of the materials to be transported at a second distance (c) from the nearest longitudinal edge (1'). The angle (.alpha.) of inclination between the plane of the bracket (4) and the plane of the first wall part (1) is 60.degree., and the second pipe (II) has at least one corresponding first wall part (1) which is arranged parallel to the second wall part (2) of the first pipe (I).

Abstract: An electrostatic separator is described which includes honeycomb collecting electrodes, which consist of star-shaped elements, wherein each star-shaped element consists of three wall parts (1, 2, 3), which are centrally joined and extend at an angle of 120.degree. to each other, at least one tube section (1', 2', 3', 5', 6') extends along the outer edge of each wall part, the tube sections (2', 5', 6') of any two adjacent star-shaped elements are arranged one over the other and adjacent star-shaped elements are connectted by a connecting rod (4), which extends in the tube sections (1', 2', 3', 5', 6') of at least two adjacent star-shaped elements.

Abstract: A waste airstream decontamination unit has a series of grounded electrodes extending vertically from rotating shafts mounted transversely across a decontamination chamber. Corresponding upper and lower positive electrodes extend toward the rotating grounded electrodes in an angular relationship. Rotation of the shafts causes the charged electrodes to produce and sustain a repeating sequence of arcs which ionize and control the airborne contaminants which are passed through the chamber.

Abstract: A process and apparatus for the separation of vaporous heavy metal compounds from a carrier gas wherein the heavy metal compounds are cooled and desublimed. An apparatus for carrying out this process has a melting furnace with a discharge opening for a gas/vapor mixture, which leads to a cooling device. Vaporous heavy metal compounds can be separated from a carrier gas on a large industrial scale. In addition, the apparatus for carrying out this process is easy to operate. The gas/vapor mixture is turbulently mixed immediately after the discharge from the furnace in a mixing section with cold air and is thus cooled. During this cooling, the vaporous heavy metal compounds desublime and are filtered as particles in a filter.

Abstract: The apparatus for dedusting a gas by electrostatic precipitation includes an advantageously steel housing and a plurality of discharge electrodes and collecting electrodes arranged in the housing. Each of the electrodes is made of a ceramic material and has an electrically conducting layer on at least one side thereof. The electrically conducting layer consists of a copper, nickel, bronze or iron-chromium-nickel alloy layer having a thickness of 0.1 to 2 mm. The ceramic material has a porosity of 25 to 90%, consists of fibers compacted with an inorganic binder and contains 30 to 70% by weight Al.sub.2 O.sub.3, 15 to 50% by weight SiO.sub.2 and 1 to 10% by weight of the inorganic binder. The discharge and collecting electrodes can be plates with a wall thickness of 5 to 100 mm. The discharge electrodes alternatively are tubular and have a wall thickness of 5 to 30 mm and a diameter of 30 to 100 mm.

Abstract: A multi-layered electrostatic filter and method of filtration incorporating an insulated poly glass charging element which is a grid of sufficient width to allow the air flow through the charging element to supply a static charge to the charging element and to allow trapped particles to gather and combine or coagulate along the charged element prior to reaching a dust trap which is a second layer of polypropylene filters. The initial charge is generated by friction from the dust and the air passing through a first polypropylene layer. Polypropylene is used in order to provide an insulating frame and insulating dust filters on either side of the poly glass charging element. Progressively fine layers provide for multiloading of particulate material.

Abstract: An electrostatic air cleaner is disclosed along with a method for removing particulate matter from moving streams of air. A high voltage ionizer is used as a corona source to ionize the particulate matter as it approaches the air filter portion of the electrostatic air cleaner. The air filter uses a pair of reticulated polyether foam filters for collecting the particulate matter. The foam filters are separated by a thin, grid-like layer of semiconductive material (carbon-impregnated polycarbonate) which is raised to a very high DC voltage. The foam filters are also surrounded by thin, grid-like layers of electrically conductive material which are held at ground potential, thus creating a high-voltage electric field through each of the foam filters. The polyether foam filter media is non-deliquescent, thus preventing the high-voltage electric field from being dissipated by such imbedded water vapor, which is the cause of filter inefficiency in the prior art.

Abstract: An electronic air cleaner includes a housing having a fluid inlet and a fluid outlet for creating a fluid stream through the housing. Inside the housing is provided a set of first parallel conductive plates and a set of second parallel conductive plates, herein the first and second plates ar interspersed in an alternating fashion. An ionizer is provided on each of the second plates, and a source of negative high voltage is connected to each of the first plates. Particulate matter can be removed from the air stream in a method using the above-described electrostatic air cleaner.