Re-entrainment mechanism of submicron particles during electrostatic capture process

Abstract

In this work, a controllable electric field with plate-plate structure, whose ratio between plate length and plate-plate spacing can reach up to be 65 for mostly possible capture of targeted particles, is firstly established in laboratory level for investigating the re-entrainment mechanism of submicron particles. Computational fluid dynamic and response surface method are employed to analyze the distribution characteristics of multiple physical fields and the influence of various parameters on particle re-entrainment effect. Experimental results indicate that particle concentration decreases gradually, which follows three distinct stages of particle motion: the acceleration stage, linear motion stage, and re-entrainment stage. Gas velocity is identified as the most significant factor affecting particle re-entrainment, while charger current has a relatively minor effect. A reliable regression model for theoretical collection length has been developed and validated against experimental data, providing credible predictive values for the required collection length to capture most submicron particles.