Abstract
This study presents a novel design of high-efficiency two-stage electrostatic precipitator (ESP). For its design, different electrode configurations were tested and the corresponding onset and breakdown voltages were measured and compared. Based on findings, an optimal arrangement was then defined and a novel design of a two-stage ESP prototype, using needle electrodes instead of long wires utilised in conventional ESPs, is realised. For comparison, a single-stage ESP was also built. The influence of various parameters on the performances of both two-stage and single-stage ESPs was evaluated numerically using 2D modelling and compared with the experimental ones for the same dimensions of laboratory-scale ESP. The numerical simulation was implemented using COMSOL Multiphysics package that uses finite element method (FEM) solver. The main investigated parameters are the electric potential, electric field distribution and collection efficiency under the loading conditions as a function of air flow velocity, magnitude and polarity of voltage, ESP geometry design (size, shape and number of discharge electrodes). It is shown that the collection efficiency of this novel ESP increases when decreasing air flow velocity; and its effectiveness is higher when using negative ionisation polarity. Also, the collection efficiency of this ESP could greatly improve the existing ESPs under the same applied physical conditions.