Patent ID: 7082897

Claim:
An electrostatic precipitator having a collector electrode collecting particulate ionized in an electric field created by a high voltage corona discharge electrode pulse energized by a pulsed high voltage power supply, wherein said pulsed high voltage power supply supplies pulsed energization voltage to said corona discharge electrode which is pulsed between a peak pulse voltage and a baseline voltage, wherein said baseline voltage is below an arcing voltage between said corona discharge electrode and said collector electrode which would otherwise cause plasma conduction between said corona discharge electrode and said collector electrode, and wherein the duration of said peak pulse voltage is selected to be short enough to minimize thermal stress on said pulsed high voltage power supply and extend the life thereof, said peak pulse voltage is greater than corona onset voltage between said corona discharge electrode and said collector electrode, said baseline voltage is greater than said corona onset voltage, said precipitator has a rated DC voltage providing sufficient ionization for desired efficiency in the absence of said pulsed energization, said rated DC voltage being greater than said corona onset voltage, and wherein said baseline voltage is less than said rated DC voltage and greater than said corona onset voltage.