A
gas separation apparatus combines the technologies of electrostatic precipitators and centrifugal
particle separators into a single unit. At an inlet into the
gas separation apparatus, a
water spray is introduced into the gas
stream. The
water spray may include various chemical additives, typically selected to react with or neutralize the
particulates as they are mixed with the water or for other benefit. The resulting water and particulate mixture, which is much more dense than air, is centrifugally separated and collected through a
drain tube outlet. In addition to the centrifugal forces applied to the gas and water
stream, an electrical field of magnitude sufficient to produce coronal
discharge is also applied to a central
electrode. The
electric field is generated between the cylinder wall and the central
electrode, to assist the centrifugal forces and thereby remove additional particulate beyond that ordinarily removed by a standard
centrifugal separator. A vortex finder surrounds the central
electrode and protects the electrode from undesirable
exposure to water splashes or the like, while assisting with the
centrifugal separation. The novel separation apparatus and technique offer particular
synergy when applied to the
effluent stream from a fossil-fuel
electric power plant or other similar gas streams.