Evaluation of electrostatic precipitator performance for submicron particle size range.

The fractional collection efficiency (FCE) tests of a commercially available two-stageelectrostatic precipitator (ESP) have been performed for six flow rates. The tests covered theparticle size range from 0.018-1.2micrometer using two types of test aerosols, NaCl andenvironmental tobacco smoke (ETS). Measurements were performed by means of twoScanning Mobility Particle Sizers (SMPS) and the Aerodynamic Particle Sizer (APS). For thecases evaluated, the total collection efficiency (TCE) of the precipitator was found to increasewith the increase of count median diameter of the particulate, to have no significantdependence on the type of test aerosol, and has been demonstrated to have a polynomialdependence on flow rate. The collection efficiency was found to be independent of particlesize at flow rates below 560 L/s. At higher flow rates, however, a significant dependency ofthe collection efficiency on the particle size was observed. A minimum in the efficiency wasdetected in the range from 0.1 to 0.45micrometer and for particles smaller than about 0.02micrometer.