Effect of relative humidity on current–voltage characteristics of an electrostatic precipitator

This paper aims at characterizing the behavior of dc corona discharge in wire-to-plane electrostatic precipitators (ESPs) as influenced by the relative humidity (RH) of the inlet air. The current–voltage characteristics and time evolution of the current are analyzed. Experimental results show that discharge current is strongly affected by the RH level of the inlet air. For instance, the time-averaged current is lower at higher RH for a given voltage, except when RH = 99%. Time evolution of the discharge current is affected by the humidity especially in the case of negative corona.

► We characterize the effect of relative humidity on dc corona discharge behaviour.
► We analyse the current–voltage characteristics and time evolution of the current.
► The current is lower at higher RH for a given voltage, except when RH = 99%.
► Time evolution of the current is affected by the humidity for both polarities.