Means for the cleaning and self-cleaning of an electrostatic precipitator

Abstract

The means and method for the cleaning and self-cleaning of an electrostatic precipitator is especially suited for adaptation to an electronic air cleaner comprised of an ionizer unit and a collecting cell unit adapted to be included in tandem within a suitable cabinet; means to bring air to be cleaned through these units are also provided, and these may or may not be an integral part of the cleaner. The ionizer unit may include support members for a plurality of ground plates between which are located ionizing wires which normally carry a low current but high voltage, preferably in the neighborhood of 10,000 to 14,000 volts. (Some electronic air cleaners, however, use voltages in the 5,000 to 9,000 volts range. This invention will also work effectively with them.) The collecting cell unit includes support members for a plurality of grounded collecting plates and there are a plurality of charged collecting plates suitably supported within the collecting cell unit and interleaved among the grounded collecting plates, the grounded plates and charged plates being out of electrical contact with one another. The charged plates normally carry a low current, high voltage charge in the neighborhood of 5,000 to 7,000 volts. The means and method of this invention, however, will function satisfactorily with all known voltage ranges normally applied to the ionizer and collecting cell in a 2-stage precipitator. Hopper means are located beneath the ionizer and collecting cell in position to receive precipitated contaminants which are removed from the air stream passing therethrough and which are intially collected on the various plates.