Apparatus for electrostatically cleaning particulates from air

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. In a further alternative construction, a charge accumulator is located adjacent to or within the ionizer to collect ions that migrate from the ionizer's electrodes to the collecting member of the charge accumulator. The charge accumulator is raised to a very high DC voltage and is electrically connected to the high-voltage conductive strips of the air filter, thereby eliminating the need for a high-voltage DC power supply to charge these conductive strips directly.