3D computation of corona, ion induced secondary flows and particle motion in technical ESP configurations

Recent achievements in the development of a theoretical model for electrostatic precipitation are described. The challenges are the treatment of complex three-dimensional geometries, and the complexity of the physical effects together with the multi-disciplinarity of the overall problem. Different computational modules are used for the computation of the electric field, the corona discharge, the ion drift regions and their interaction with the main gas flow. Results are given for current density distributions, secondary flow patterns and the particle distribution. The computational modules are integrated in a domain-decomposition based environment that allows for concurrent engineering and program development.