Patent ID: 7473305

Claim:
An electrostatic separator for separating particles containing oil out of a gas stream of an internal combustion engine crankcase, comprising: a chamber having a gas stream inlet and being structured and arranged to redirect the gas stream entering the chamber; an emission electrode comprising a needle element extending upwardly along a longitudinal axis of the electrostatic separator and arranged to form, relative to a gas stream direction, a front corona region and a rear deposition region; a deposition electrode surrounding the emission electrode and the rear deposition region; a collecting trough located at a lower end of the rear deposition region; an outlet opening structured to receive the separated particles from the collecting trough and arranged adjacent the deposition electrode and at a level with or after, relative to the gas flow direction, the rear deposition region; the chamber located above the emission electrode and having a downwardly converging wall transitioning into the deposition electrode; and the gas stream inlet arranged at an upper end of the electrostatic separator, the outlet opening arranged at a lower end of the electrostatic separator, wherein the gas stream flows downwards from the chamber and between the emission electrode and the deposition electrode, and wherein the electrostatic separator is structured and arranged to separate the particles containing oil from the gas stream of the internal combustion engine crankcase.