DONOR CELL-FINITE ELEMENT DESCRIPTIONS OF WIRE-DUCT PRECIPITATOR FIELDS, CHARGES, AND EFFICIENCIES

Computations of electric field and charge density structures and resultant efficiencies in wire-duct electrostatic precipitators are described. The computational method is based upon the finite element method as a means for computing the potential and electric field for a known charge distribution and a donor cell method that imposes conservation of charge in integral form as a means for computing charge densities for a known field structure, with iterative convergence to self-consistent solutions. The solution region is discretized by the Delaunay algorithm. This division simultaneously provides the triangles needed for the finite element method and the Voronoi polygons over which charge conservation is imposed. Thus a natural geometric interface is established between the finite element method and the donor cell description. Results are shown in models that include the time-averaged effect of turbulence through a diffusivity coefficient, bipolar ionic species modeling back ionization, and the effects of particulate and ionic space charge. © 1990 IEEE