System for electrically-driven classification of combustion particles
In a combustion system, a charge source is configured to cooperate with a collection plate and a director conduit to cause at least one particle charge-to-mass classification to be reintroduced to a flame for further reaction.
1. A combustion system to reduce particles entrained within an exhaust flow leaving the combustion system, comprising:
a combustion volume configured to support a flow stream including a mixture of fuel and oxidizer ignited within the combustion volume to generate a flame and the exhaust flow, the exhaust flow having a plurality of combustion particle classifications;
a charge source including a corona discharge apparatus configured to supply electrical charges into the exhaust flow to create ions for an ionic wind comprising a plurality of electric charges passing through the exhaust flow;
a high voltage power supply (HVPS) configured to apply an electrical potential having a first polarity to the charge source;
a plurality of shaped electrodes that are positioned above the flame within the combustion volume and are adjacent to the exhaust flow leaving the combustion volume,
the charge source being configured such that the ionic wind is generated between the shaped electrodes, and that the exhaust flow-entrained particles pass through the ionic wind;
wherein at least a fraction of the electric charges having a first polarity are deposited onto at least a fraction of the plurality of particles when the particles pass through the ionic wind and the ions of the ionic wind become attached to the particles, such that the particles become charged;
an electrically conductive collector plate including an electrical conductor coupled to receive an electrical potential having an attractive second polarity, relative to ground, from a node operatively coupled to the HVPS, the collector plate being disposed above and away from the combustion volume distal to the flame and arranged to cause at least one combustion particle classification to flow to a collection location and to cause at least one different combustion particle classification to flow to one or more locations different from the collection location;
wherein the at least a fraction of the plurality of charged particles is collected at a surface of the collector plate.
2. The combustion system of claim 1 , wherein the one or more shaped electrodes are positioned within the combustion volume to a side of the flame.
3. The combustion system of claim 2 , wherein the one or more shaped electrodes are tapered to a sharp tip directed into the exhaust flow.
4. The combustion system of claim 3 , wherein the one or more shaped electrodes generate the corona discharge proximate to the sharp tip.
5. The combustion system of claim 1 , wherein the ionic wind is partly responsible for causing the at least one combustion particle classification to flow to the collection location.
6. The combustion system of claim 1 , wherein the corona discharge is selected to cause a charge to attach to all or most of the plurality of combustion particle classifications.
7. The combustion system of claim 6 , wherein the collector plate includes an electrically conductive surface proximate to the exhaust flow.
8. The combustion system of claim 7 , wherein the electrically conductive surface includes a metal.
9. The combustion system of claim 8 , wherein the metal is iron, steel, copper, silver or aluminum, or alloys of each, wherein the preponderant constituent of the alloy consists of iron, steel, copper, silver or aluminum.
10. The combustion system of claim 1 , further comprising:
a director conduit configured to receive a flow of at least some portion of the plurality of combustion particle classifications at a collection location and convey the flow of the at least some portion of the plurality of combustion particle classifications to an output location.
11. The combustion system of claim 10 , wherein the director conduit includes an inlet port disposed above the combustion volume proximate the collection location, an outlet port disposed adjacent the combustion volume proximate the flame, and a hollow body connecting the inlet and outlet ports.
12. The combustion system of claim 11 , wherein the director conduit further includes a fan, impeller or vacuum means to provide an additional dragging force on the first combustion particle classification through the hollow connecting body from the inlet port to the outlet port.
13. The combustion system of claim 12 , wherein the output location is selected to cause the flow of the at least one combustion particle classification to flow toward the flame.
14. The combustion system of claim 12 , wherein the director conduit includes a dielectric or insulator material.
15. The combustion system of claim 14 , wherein the dielectric or insulator material is selected from the list consisting of elastomeric foam, fiberglass, ceramics, refractory brick, alumina, quartz, fused glass, silica, VYCOR™, and combination thereof.
16. The combustion system of claim 10 , further comprising one or more sensors in electrical communication with a programmable controller.
17. The combustion system of claim 16 , wherein the one or more sensors each providing a plurality of time-sequenced sensor inputs to the programmable controller.
18. The combustion system of claim 17 , wherein the programmable controller changes the electrical potential applied by the HVPS to the one or more shaped electrodes from time-to-time based on a comparison of the plurality of time-sequenced sensor inputs received by the programmable controller against a set of one or more predetermined values preprogrammed onto the programmable controller.