Three-dimensional (3-D) model of electric field and space charge in the barbed plate-to-plate precipitator

A finite-element/method-of-characteristics model of three-dimensional (3-D) electrode geometries with corona discharge is used to predict space charge density, current density, electric potential and electric field in point-to-plane, single-barb plate-to-plane, and hexagonal multiple-barbed plate-to-plate electrostatic precipitator (ESP) geometries. Although a modification of Peek's formula for the hyperboid-to-plane was initially used to establish a boundary condition at the edge of the corona, predicted total current did not agree with measured values. As a result, it was necessary to use measured current-voltage characteristics to establish the space charge density at the outer surface of the corona sheath. An additional problem in modeling point discharges is specification of shape and size of the corona sheath. Both the authors' results and much earlier work by Trichel suggest that the thickness of the corona sheath cannot be automatically neglected.