Wet electro-core gas particulate separator

Abstract

A gas separation apparatus combines the technologies of electrostatic precipitators and centrifugal particle separators into a single unit. At an inlet into the gas separation apparatus, a water spray is introduced into the gas stream. The water spray may include various chemical additives, typically selected to react with or neutralize the particulates as they are mixed with the water or for other benefit. The resulting water and particulate mixture, which is much more dense than air, is centrifugally separated and collected through a drain tube outlet. In addition to the centrifugal forces applied to the gas and water stream, an electrical field of magnitude sufficient to produce coronal discharge is also applied to a central electrode. The electric field is generated between the cylinder wall and the central electrode, to assist the centrifugal forces and thereby remove additional particulate beyond that ordinarily removed by a standard centrifugal separator. A vortex finder surrounds the central electrode and protects the electrode from undesirable exposure to water splashes or the like, while assisting with the centrifugal separation. The novel separation apparatus and technique offer particular synergy when applied to the effluent stream from a fossil-fuel electric power plant or other similar gas streams.