Patent ID: 7101424

Claim:
An ionizer in an exhaust gas purification system for moisture-laden gases flowing through a channel ( 19 ), comprising: a nozzle plate ( 4 ) supported in said channel ( 19 ) so as to extend transversely thereacross, said nozzle plate ( 4 ) consisting of an electrically conductive material connected to a reference potential and having circular nozzle openings ( 3 ), which are uniformly distributed over the nozzle plate ( 4 ) and through which a raw gas flow ( 8 ) is conducted, a high voltage electrode support grid ( 5 ) arranged in the channel ( 19 ) downstream of the nozzle plate ( 4 ) and supported so as to be electrically insulated thereto, electrode pins ( 1 ) mounted on the electrode support grid ( 5 ) in an array corresponding to that of the nozzle openings ( 3 ) in the nozzle plate ( 4 ) and extending toward the respective nozzle openings ( 3 ), each electrode pin ( 1 ) carrying at its free end adjacent the respective nozzle opening ( 3 ) a star-structure with a number of tips uniformly distributed around the star-structure and having a uniform length and extending essentially radially from the electrode pin ( 1 ) toward the circumference of the nozzle openings but at an electrical isolation distance therefrom, said nozzle plate ( 4 ) and the high voltage electrode structure ( 5 ) as well as the electrode pins ( 1 ) and star structure ( 2 ) consisting of an electrically conductive material which is inert with respect to the gas conducted through the channel ( 19 ).