Patent ID: 6106592
Filing Date: 2000-08-22
Classification: B03C

Abstract:
A process for treating a gas stream to remove solid or liquid particles entrained in the gas stream, the process comprising:providing a substantially electrically isolated, gas-permeable filter element comprising electrically conductive filter media wetted with a liquid;electrostatically charging the wetted filter media by applying an electric potential to the filter media with respect to ground;passing the gas stream to be treated through an electric field imposed by a limited current discharge between the electrostatically charged filter media and a ground electrode to induce a charge on particles entrained in the gas having a polarity opposite of the charge on the filter media;passing the gas stream containing charged particles through the filter element with a horizontal component of movement, the entrained particles thereby being captured in the wetted filter media to produce a clean gas stream from which entrained particles have been removed; andcontinuously draining the liquid from the wetted filter media under the force of gravity to remove captured particles and produce a liquid waste containing the removed particles exiting the filter element, the draining liquid having a horizontal component of movement through the filter media toward the downstream surface of the filter element relative to the direction of gas flow through the filter element imparted by the gas drag force.