Discharge Electrodes and Electrostatic Precipitators

I he discharge electrode is in many respects the heart of the electrostatic precipitator and a review of its functions is useful in illustrating how and why discharge electrodes are selected. Discussing precipitators through the discharge electrode functions is a little like describing a gas combustion engine by examining the operation of a spark plug in detail. In each instance a spark initiates the action. In a precipitator, however, the spark is used completely and is a primary source of energy, whereas the engine uses the spark as an initiator of a second and more powerful reaction.