Enhancement of air filtration using electric fields

Although polarized electrostatic air filters are efficient air filtrating devices, their main disadvantages are difficulty in collecting conductive particles or in operating at relative humidities above 70%. We describe here a new filter design that eliminates these problems. A nonconductive media, normally a glass fiber mat, is placed between two insulated conductive screens. As the voltage across the screens is increased, the penetration of particles decreases exponentially. Increasing the electric field from 0 to 10 kV/cm will decrease the mass penetration from 60% to less than 10% of a polydispersed 0.8 micrometer ammd(sigma g = 2.0) sodium chloride aerosol. The experimental effects of face velocity, particle charge and size, packing density, fiber size, and screen insulation mirror the theoretical effects of these variables on particle penetration.