A novel polymer-arrayed electrostatic precipitator with electrical resistance material for the removal of fine particles

Electrostatic precipitators (ESPs) have been widely used for air purification applications as they have no degradation issues and do not need to be replaced periodically. However, the generation of ozone by ESPs has been regarded as one of their most serious drawbacks. This paper presents the development of an ozone emission free ESP comprising a carbon brush ionizer and a polymeric arrayed collector (PAC). The collector consisted of sixty layers, where each layer had three stratums: polyethylene terephthalate (PET) film, conductive ink (CI), and PET film. The performance of the ESP was evaluated for three CI resistance levels: 107, 1010, and 1013 Ω/m2. The ESP was evaluated for particle filtration efficiency in a wind tunnel with a 0.3 μm challenge aerosol for an applied voltage ranging from 3 to 9 kV. The clean air delivery rate (CADR) was evaluated by coupling the ESP to a commercial air purifier to deliver purified air to a controlled 30-m 3 chamber in which particle concentration and ozone monitoring instruments were placed. Single pass ESP efficiency peaked at 89.5% for a high voltage (9 kV), high resistance (1013 Ω/m2), and low face velocity (1 m/s). The CADR for the ESP was 1.2 times higher than that for a standard high efficiency particulate air filter, with no ozone generation in a 24-h test. Thus, the proposed PAC-based ESP provides a viable solution for an ozone-free ESP, one that retains the benefits while eliminating the risk.

► A novel electrostatic precipitator (ESP) that generates no ozone in a 24-h test is developed.
► The ESP is comprised of a carbon brush ionizer and a polymeric arrayed collector (PAC).
► A layer of the PAC consists of two insulated polyethylene terephthalate films and conductive ink.
► The single pass collection efficiency of the ESP is characterized.
► The clean air delivery rate by coupling the ESP to a commercial air purifier is characterized.