Electrostatic Elimination of Fine Smoke Particles by a Newly Devised Air Purification Screen

Our primary concern of air pollution problem was a transboundary movement of air pollutants to Japan from the pollutant generating country because of geographic and meteorological reasons. An electrostatic air purification screen (EAPS) was devised to capture particulate matter (PM) in smoke, which can cause health problems. The EAPS consisted of three layers of insulated conductor wires (ICWs) and two voltage generators that supplied negative charges to the two outer ICW layers and a positive charge to the middle ICW layer. The ICWs generated an attractive force that captured fine particles in the smoke passing through the EAPS. The attractive force was directly proportional to the applied voltage. At ≥4.5 kV, the EAPS exerted sufficient force to capture all fine particles carried in an airflow of 3 m/s. Results showed that the electrostatic barrier that formed inside the EAPS was effective at capturing PM, allowing homes and working environments to remain PM-free and healthy, despite continuous PM exposure.