Patent ID: 6805732
Filing Date: 2004-10-19
Classification: A61L,B01J,B03C,Y10S

Abstract:
Volume generator (1) of chaotic electrostatic field (E=E1, E2, E3, . . . ), amplified locally, to submit a fluid (U) loaded with aerosol particles (P,p) to the action of an electrostatic field (E) with high local variation of amplitude and orientation, this generator (1) comprising:a) an induced electrostatic module (2); constituted of a dielectric or semiconducting material (md), generally flat in shape, with porous geometry and permeable to the passage of fluids (U), constituted of a network in three-dimensional meshes (Rxyz), each mesh of the network being constituted of an elementary convex cell, recessed and concave at its centre to include a compact elementary empty cellular volume (V1), of transversal dimensions (dx1, dy1, dz1) of the same order of size in the three dimensions (x, y, z,), and in which the elementary empty cellular volume (V1) of the majority of cells (C1) located at the centre of the electrostatic module (2) opens out facing elementary empty volumes (V16, V17, . . . ) of neighbouring cells (C16, C17, . . . ), by at least four recesses (e16, e17, e18, e19) through their elementary surface (S16), having on either side at least two lateral contact surfaces (L1, L2,) facing each other, b) two electrostatic induction electrodes (4, 5), constituted of a conducting material (mc), generally flat in shape, with porous geometry and permeable to the passage of fluids (U), placed facing each other, separated from each other, on either side of the electrostatic module (2), and each co-operating by one of their lateral support faces (S1, S2) with one of the two lateral contact faces (L1, L2) of the polarisable module (2), c) a source of electric current (6) comprising at least two metallic terminals (B+, Eâˆ’) with a significantly high electric potential difference between them, d) two conductors (7, 8), each connected by one end (9, 10) to one of the potential difference terminals (8+, Bâˆ’) and/or the earth, and at the other end (11, 12) to one of the different polarisation electrodes (4, 5), for generating between the two electrodes (4, 5) and thus in the interior of the polarisable module (2), a distribution of charges (q) over the surface (Sd) of its constitutive material (md) and consequently a volume distribution of the internal electric field (E), one of the two conductors (9) able to be constituted partially by the earth (G), e) a means (3) for putting fluid into overpressure to ensure its flow through the electrodes (4, 5) and the electrostatic module (2); this volume generator (1) of chaotic electrostatic field (E) being characterized in that furthermore its electrostatic module (2) is constituted of a plurality of fins (A=A1, A2, . . . , An, . . . ) with longilineal portions, constituted of a dielectric or semiconducting material (md): A. where the fins (An) have a thin transversal cross-section (St), of thickness (e) very much lower than their longitudinal dimension (l), and comprising at least one lateral trailing edge (bn) elongated and tapered (that is with small local transversal radius (Rn) of curvature) oriented in reaction (xn, xâ€²n) of the length of the fins (An), B. where the fins (A1, . . . A13, A14, A15, . . . An, . . . ) are physically and electrically connected to each other by each of their ends (A13_1, A13_2, A14_1, A15_1, . . . ) to constitute a dielectric three-dimensional network (Rxyz), and are associated and regrouped geometrically to constitute a multiplicity of elementary cells (C1, . . . , C16, C17, . . . ) showing, locally at least, a three-dimensional periodicity (or pseudo-periodicity) in at least three directions (0x, 0y, 0z), C. where the majority of fins (A13) interior to the electrostatic module (2) are common to several elementary cells ( . . . , C1, . . . , C17, . . . ), D. where the majority of associated fins (A13, A14, A15, . . . ) belonging to a same cell (C1) interior to the electrostatic module (2) surrounding and juxtaposing tangentially, by at least one of their lateral longitudinal faces (s113/1, s114/1, s115/1, . . . ), a virtual elementary surface (S1) appropriate and interior to each elementary cell (C1) with closed geometry, to include a compact elementary empty cellular volume (V1), that is of transversal dimensions (dx1, dy1, dz1) of the same, order of size in the three directions (x, y, z); E. where the elementary empty cellular volume (V1) of the majority of cells (C1) located at the centre of the electrostatic module (2) opens out facing the elementary empty volumes (V16, V17, . . . ) of neighbouring cells (C16, C17, . . . ) by at least four recesses (e16, e17, e18, e19) through their elementary surface (S16), F. and where each of the recesses (e16) is surrounded by the lateral edge (b161, b162, b163, . . . ) of fins ( . . . , A15 . . . ) belonging to its cell (C16) and common to the neighbouring cells (C16, C17, . . . ); such that the generator (1) comprises within its electrostatic module (2), a three-dimensional plurality of electrostatic induction zones, (ZE)=(ZE1, ZE2, ZE3, ZE4, . . . , ZEn) distributed over a three-dimensional network, closely around the cellular volumes (V1) and in the vicinity of the trailing edges (bn) of the fins, and presenting locally: high local variations of amplitude of the electrostatic field (E) relative to the average intensity (Em) evaluated over the totality of the electrostatic module (2), and/or high orientation values &agr; of the electrostatic field (E) relative to the average orientation (&agr;=0) of the electric field evaluated over the totality of the electrostatic module (2).