Electrostatic precipitator with corrugated electrode plates - whose corrugations produce gas flow patterns which decelerate flow and increase dwell time of particles adjacent valleys in plates

Electrostatic precipitator comprises parallel corrugated collector electrode plates arranged so that successive crests and valleys of the corrugations of each plate are positioned opposite similar crests and valleys of the adjacent plates to form gas flow channels which successively converge and diverge. The plates have a common polarity and cooperate with an array of discharge filament electrodes of opposite common polarity located between each pair of plates. The filament electrodes are centred in and extend longitudinally through the wide regions between the opposing valleys of adjacent plates. The mean spacing between the plates is one half to one times the corrugation wavelength of the plates and the height of the corrugations between valley and crest peaks between 10% and 20% if the wave length. The corrugations produce gas flows patterns that decelerate the flow and increase the dwell-time of the particles adjacent the valleys in the plates. This maximises migration and capture of the particles on the plates without impeding the gas flow through the precipitator.