Numerical Simulation of the Electrohydrodynamic Flow in a Single Wire-Plate Electrostatic Precipitator

In this paper, the electrohydrodynamic (EHD) flow in a single wire-plate electrostatic precipitator has been analyzed numerically by employing a hybrid Finite-Element Method-Method of Characteristics numerical algorithm and the commercial computational fluid dynamic software FLUENT6.2. Parameters defining both the electric and the flow fields were predicted. The interaction between the electric and the flow fields has been discussed by adopting the proposed two-way coupling algorithm. With the help of the dimensionless analysis, an entire flow regime map has been developed for different Reynolds (Re) and EHD numbers. It was found that, at very low Re (15) and high EHD (2000) (based on the corona wire) numbers, the EHD flow dominates in the channel; as Re increases, the significance of the EHD wakes gradually decreases; at a higher Re (50) or a lower EHD (500) numbers, the EHD flow becomes the near-corona-wire phenomena, and the main flow dominates the channel. The possible influence of the EHD flow on the particle-collection efficiency was also discussed.