Method of operation of, and protector for, high voltage power supply for electrostatic precipitator

1. A method of operating a high voltage power supply of an electrostatic precipitator having a collector electrode capturing particulate that is charged by an ionized gas in an electric field created by a high voltage corona discharge electrode energized by a high voltage power supply, said method comprising protecting said power supply from overload when current demand becomes too high due to electrode contamination,

said protecting step being selected from the group consisting of:

limiting electrical current input to said power supply notwithstanding said increased demand responsive to said electrode contamination;

disconnecting electrical current input to said power supply notwithstanding said increased demand responsive to said electrode contamination; and

disconnecting the output of said power supply to said corona discharge electrode notwithstanding said increased demand responsive to said electrode contamination.

2. The method according to claim 1 comprising protecting said power supply by limiting electrical current input to said power supply notwithstanding said increased demand responsive to said electrode contamination, and preventing a sustaining amount of energy from flowing through said gas.

3. The method according to claim 1 comprising protecting said power supply by disconnecting electrical current input to said power supply notwithstanding said increased demand responsive to said electrode contamination, and stopping a sustaining amount of energy from flowing through said gas.

4. The method according to claim 1 comprising protecting said power supply by disconnecting the output of said power supply to said corona discharge electrode notwithstanding said increased demand responsive to said electrode contamination, and stopping a sustaining amount of energy from flowing through said gas.

5. The method according to claim 1 comprising protecting said power supply from overload when current demand becomes too high during arcing conduction when an arc occurs due to electrode contamination.

6. The method according to claim 5 comprising protecting said power supply by limiting electrical current input to said power supply notwithstanding said increased demand responsive to said arcing conduction, and preventing a sustaining amount of energy from flowing through said gas, to quench said arc and prevent said arcing conduction.

7. The method according to claim 5 comprising protecting said power supply by disconnecting electrical current input to said power supply notwithstanding said increased demand responsive to said arcing conduction, and stopping a sustaining amount of energy from flowing through said gas, to quench said arc and prevent said arcing conduction.

8. The method according to claim 5 comprising protecting said power supply by disconnecting the output of said power supply to said corona discharge electrode notwithstanding said increased demand responsive to said arcing conduction, and stopping a sustaining amount of energy from flowing through said gas, to quench said arc and prevent said arcing conduction.

9. The method according to claim 5 comprising protecting said power supply from overload when current demand becomes too high during plasma conduction.

10. The method according to claim 9 comprising protecting said power supply by a method selected from the group consisting of:

limiting electrical current input to said power supply notwithstanding said increased demand responsive to said plasma conduction, and preventing a sustaining amount of energy from flowing through said gas, to quench said arc and prevent said plasma conduction;

disconnecting electrical current input to said power supply notwithstanding said increased demand responsive to said plasma conduction, and stopping a sustaining amount of energy from flowing through said gas, to quench said arc and prevent said plasma conduction; and

disconnecting the output of said power supply to said corona discharge electrode notwithstanding said increased demand responsive to said plasma conduction, and stopping a sustaining amount of energy from flowing through said gas, to quench said arc and prevent said plasma conduction.

11. The method according to claim 1 comprising protecting said power supply from overload when current demand becomes too high due to contamination of said collector electrode.

12. The method according to claim 1 wherein:

said power supply comprises a low voltage supply upstream of a high voltage module;

said step of limiting electrical current input to said power supply comprises limiting electrical current at said low voltage supply;

said step of disconnecting electrical current input to said power supply comprises disconnecting electrical current at said low voltage supply; and

said step of disconnecting the output of said power supply comprises disconnecting the output of said high voltage module.

13. The method according to claim 12 wherein:

said step of limiting electrical current input to said power supply comprises providing a current limiting circuit upstream of said low voltage supply;

said step of disconnecting electrical current input to said power supply comprises providing an input disconnect module upstream of said low voltage supply; and

said step of disconnecting the output of said power supply comprises providing an output disconnect module downstream of said high voltage module.

14. An electrostatic precipitator having a collector electrode capturing particulate that is charged by an ionized gas in an electric field created by a high voltage corona discharge electrode energized by a high voltage power supply, a protector protecting said power supply from overload when current demand becomes too high,

said protector being selected from the group consisting of:

a current limiter limiting electrical current input to said power supply notwithstanding said increased demand responsive to said electrode contamination;

an input disconnect module disconnecting electrical current input to said power supply notwithstanding said increased demand responsive to said electrode contamination; and

an output disconnect module disconnecting the output of said power supply from said corona discharge electrode notwithstanding said increased demand responsive to said electrode contamination.

15. The electrostatic precipitator according to claim 14 wherein said protector protects said power supply from overload when current demand becomes too high due to electrode contamination.

16. The electrostatic precipitator according to claim 15 wherein said protector comprises a current limiter limiting electrical current input to said power supply notwithstanding said increased demand responsive to said electrode contamination, said current limiter preventing a sustaining amount of energy from flowing through said gas.

17. The electrostatic precipitator according to claim 15 wherein said protector comprises an input disconnect module disconnecting electrical current input to said power supply notwithstanding said increased demand responsive to said electrode contamination, to stop a sustaining amount of energy from flowing through said gas.

18. The electrode precipitator according to claim 15 wherein said protector comprises an output disconnect module disconnecting the output of said power supply from said corona discharge electrode notwithstanding said increased demand responsive to said electrode contamination, to stop a sustaining amount of energy from flowing through said gas.

19. The electrostatic precipitator according to claim 15 wherein said protector protects said power supply during arcing conduction when an arc occurs due to electrode contamination whereupon the electric field collapses, increasing gas temperature in and near the local area of the arc, which increased temperature lowers the ionization potential of the gas, allowing the arc to sustain itself at a lower voltage, in turn enabling a greater amount of power to be conducted through the gas, increasing the demand for electrical current input to said power supply.

20. The electrostatic precipitator according to claim 19 wherein said protector comprises a current limiter limiting said electrical current input to said power supply notwithstanding said increased demand responsive to said arcing conduction, said current limiter preventing a sustaining amount of energy from flowing through said gas, to quench said arc and prevent said arcing conduction.

21. The electrostatic precipitator according to claim 19 wherein said protector comprises an input disconnect module disconnecting said electrical current input to said power supply notwithstanding said increased demand responsive to said arcing conduction, to stop a sustaining amount of energy from flowing through said gas, to quench said arc and prevent said arcing conduction.

22. The electrostatic precipitator according to claim 19 wherein said protector comprises an output disconnect module disconnecting the output of said power supply from said corona discharge electrode notwithstanding said increased demand responsive to said arcing conduction, to stop a sustaining amount of energy from flowing through said gas, to quench said arc and prevent said arcing conduction.

23. The electrostatic precipitator according to claim 19 wherein said protector protects said power supply during plasma conduction.

24. The electrostatic precipitator according to claim 23 wherein said protector protects said power supply during plasma conduction when an arc occurs due to electrode contamination whereupon the electrical field collapses, increasing gas temperature in and near the local area of the arc, which increased temperature lowers the ionization potential of the gas, allowing the arc to sustain itself at a lower voltage, in turn enabling a greater amount of power to be conducted through the gas, increasing the demand for electrical current input to said power supply, and wherein said protector is selected from the group consisting of:

a current limiter limiting electrical current input to said power supply notwithstanding said increased demand responsive to said plasma conduction, said current limiter preventing a sustaining amount of energy from flowing through said gas, to quench said arc and prevent said plasma conduction;

an input disconnect module disconnecting electrical current input to said power supply notwithstanding said increased demand responsive to said plasma conduction, to stop a sustaining amount of energy from flowing through said gas, to quench said arc and prevent said plasma conduction; and

an output disconnect module disconnecting the output of said power supply from said corona discharge electrode notwithstanding said increased demand responsive to said plasma conduction, to stop a sustaining amount of energy from flowing through said gas, to quench said arc and prevent said plasma conduction.

25. The electrostatic precipitator according to claim 15 wherein said protector protects said power supply from overload when current demand becomes too high due to contamination of said collector electrode.

26. The electrostatic precipitator according to claim 15 wherein:

said power supply comprises a low voltage supply upstream of a high voltage module;

said current limiter is at said low voltage supply;

said input disconnect module is at said low voltage supply; and

said output disconnect module is at said high voltage module.

27. The electrostatic precipitator according to claim 26 wherein:

said current limiter comprises a current limiting circuit upstream of said low voltage supply;

said input disconnect module is upstream of said low voltage supply; and

said output disconnect module is downstream of said high voltage module.