Corona discharge and heat transfer coupled to drive the removal of fine particles and simultaneous water recovery from wet flue gas

Enhancing the efficiency of fine particle removal to reduce industrial particulate emissions is a primary research focus. This study develops the existing models for wet electrostatic precipitators (WESP) under phase transition conditions by coupling corona discharge and heat transfer. The multiple fields coupling, particle behavior, removal characteristics and simultaneous water recovery in a condensing-type WESP are explored. The coupling of electric and flow fields induces a pronounced ionic wind, which is substantially influenced by flue gas velocity and operating voltage. The ionic wind serves as a linkage between corona discharge and heat transfer, leading to a 3.7 K reduction in flue gas temperature at a voltage of 32 kV. This temperature decline facilitates notable particle growth and enhances the charge of submicron-sized particles. However, fractional removal efficiency indicates that achieving higher performance via condensation requires particle growth beyond the efficiency valley. Simultaneously, the temperature reduction significantly decreases water vapor content in the flue gas, with the maximum water recovery reaching 13.4 % at the highest voltage. This research holds significant value for advancing the existing WESP model and pioneering the development of a novel condensing-type WESP.