Fluent is used to reduce physical testing, optimize filtration efficiency, and extend the operating range of electrostatic precipitators. In this example, dust loaded airflow enters the precipitator at the upper left and is distributed to the precipitator plates. An important design goal was to distribute the flow across the entire separator plate, avoiding regions of high dust loading with particle sedimentation. The eulerian multiphase model was used to include both dust and airflow. The porous media model was used to represent the resistance of the filter plates. Based on the results, dust accumulation upstream of the filter was confirmed as a problem and an adjustable device was designed to minimize this problem. The resulting design operated with improved efficiency by using the full precipitator flow area, and operated over a wider range of dust loading.

Prediction of dust accumulation