Development of compact electrostatic precipitator using EHD gas pump mechanism
Kiichirou Mochinaga1, Takashi Furuki1, Kosuke Tachibana1, Ryuta Ichiki1, Seiji Kanazawa1, *, Mateusz Tański2, Marek Kocik2, Jerzy Mizeraczyk3
* The author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
1 Faculty of Science and Technology, Oita University, Japan
2 The Szewalski Institute of Fluid Flow Machinery, Polish Academy of Sciences, Poland
3 Department of Marine Electronics, Gdynia Maritime University, Poland
Abstract
In recent years, the removal of airborne particulate matter, such as PM 2.5, pollen, and droplets containing coronavirus, has become an increasingly important issue. Collecting dust closer to its source is considered more effective for removing these particulates. However, most air purifiers are stationary, and electrostatic precipitators (ESPs) that can move freely, such as robotic cleaners, have not yet been developed. In this study, we developed a compact, lightweight ESP capable of moving to the source of dust for collection. To eliminate the need for an electric fan to draw particles into the ESP, we employed the mechanism of an electrohydrodynamic gas pump that uses ionic wind. A wire-to-nonparallel plate electrode configuration was used to generate a unidirectional gas flow containing dust particles. This configuration allows simultaneous corona charging of particles and their precipitation onto the plate electrode. The performance of the singlestage compact ESP was evaluated by visualizing dust particle collection in a transparent acrylic chamber and a mini plastic greenhouse. The proposed compact ESP has no mechanical moving parts and can be integrated into mobile devices or combined with other units.
Keywords - Electrohydrodynamic (EHD), electrostatic precipitator (ESP), ionic wind, gas pump, particulate matter.