Answer to Question #233534 in Chemical Engineering for pavani

Question

Explain about the electrostatic precipitator with neat sketch?

Answer 1

Electrostatic precipitator, also called electrostatic air cleaner, a device that uses an electric charge to remove certain impurities—either solid particles or liquid droplets—from air or other gases in smokestacks and other flues. The precipitator functions by applying energy only to the particulate matter being collected, without significantly impeding the flow of gases. Originally designed for recovery of valuable industrial-process materials, electrostatic precipitators are used for air pollution control, particularly for removing harmful particulate matter from waste gases at industrial facilities and power-generating stations. If released into the atmosphere, such particulates reduce visibility, can contribute to climate change, and lead to serious health problems in humans, including lung damage and bronchitis. Electrostatic precipitators can capture fine particles (i.e., those that are smaller than 2.5 microns [0.0001 inch] in diameter), which are especially dangerous if released because they can be drawn deep into the lungs and can trigger inflammatory reactions.

In 1824 M. Hohlfeld, a mathematics teacher in Leipzig, first described the precipitation of smoke particles by electricity. The first commercially successful process was patented in 1908 following experiments by American chemist Frederick Gardner Cottrell at the University of California, Berkeley. Early units were used to remove sulfuric acid mist and lead oxide fumes emitted from acid-making and smelting activities. The devices helped protect vineyards in northern California from lead emissions.