Patent ID: 7553353

Claim:
A multi-electrode system for decontaminating a gas containing contaminants flowing therein, comprising: a passageway for allowing said gas to flow from a first end to a second end of said passageway; at least one set of three electrodes having two outer electrodes electrically connected together forming a first terminal and one inner electrode placed between the two outer electrodes and forming a second terminal, wherein each set is placed within said passageway and in one of a perpendicular and a parallel orientation to said flow of gas and wherein said set is permeable to said gas flow when placed in a perpendicular orientation to the gas flow; a high voltage waveform source for supplying said first and second terminals and creating electrical fields between the outer electrodes and the inner electrode, wherein said electrical fields interact with the gas to create an electronic current having a desired average energy level to at least match the energy level of the molecular bonds of the contaminants to be at least one of ruptured, damaged and modified; and wherein said set has at least one of (a) at least one surface of said inner electrode and a corresponding exposed surface of said outer electrodes are fitted with protuberances having a controlled geometry on said surface thereby controlling amplification factor of said electric field at extremities of said protuberances; and (b) a space between at least one outer electrode and said inner electrode is at least partially filled with elements made from a dielectric material.