Experimental results on the influence of concentrated liquid aerosols on the onset voltage of corona discharge

Positive and negative current–voltage characteristics of a needle-grid electrostatic precipitator were measured for different electrode geometries and aerosols. Besides the well-known effect of corona quenching, additional findings show an interaction of fluid aerosols with the active electrode. A shift of the current–voltage characteristics was observed towards lower as well as higher voltages, as a function of the electrode geometry and the conductivity of the fluid aerosol.