Patent ID: 7531027

Claim:
An improved contaminant extraction system for extracting contaminants from an air flow comprising: a first channel with an inlet and an outlet into which a first air flow is directed, said first air flow containing a plurality of contaminants; a solvent reservoir containing a volume of solvent; one or more electrospray sources for producing a plurality of charged liquid droplets; a second channel with an inlet and an outlet into which a second air flow is directed; one or more voltage reduction electrodes positioned about at least one of said electrospray sources; a grounded counter electrode; and at least one grid positioned between the plane of said electrospray source and said grounded counter electrode, wherein the voltage between the grid and said charged droplet source is sufficient to sustain an electrospray process and the electrostatic force at said one or more electrospray sources is sufficient to overcome the surface tension of the solvent; wherein the electrospray droplets are dispersed into said first channel allowing said plurality of contaminants in said first air flow to become charged; wherein the maximum air velocity in the first channel is below the velocity at which charged contaminants would be carried through the air purification system without being transported through said grid and into said second air stream; and wherein said grid extracts the charged contaminants from said first air flow after which the charged contaminants are transferred into said second air flow.