Integrated pollution control system

Claim 1

AN INTEGRATED SYSTEM FOR REMOVING BOTH FINE AND COARSE PARTICLES FROM A CONTAMINATED GASEOUS MEDIUM, SAID SYSTEM COMPRISING: A. A HYDRODYNAMIC SECTION FOR EXTRACTING COARSE PARTICLES FROM SAID CONTAMINATED GASEOUS MEDIUM AND INCLUDING, (A) A CHAMBER HAVING AN INPUT AND AN OUTPUT, (B) MEANS INTRODUCING SAID CONTAMINATED GASEOUS MEDIUM INTO SAID INPUT TO PRODUCE A CYCLONIC MOTION OF SAID MEDIUM IN SAID CHAMBER, AND (C) MEANS SUBJECTING THE GASEOUS MEDIUM IN SAID CHAMBER TO HIGH-VELOCITY JETS OF WATER TO EFFECT INTERMINGLING OF SAID WATER AND SAID MEDIUM TO ENTRAP SAID COARSE PARTICLES AND CAUSING SAID MEDIUM TO EMERGE FROM THE OUTPUT OF SAID CHAMBER IN A WET, TURBULENT STATE, B. AN ELECTROSTATIC PRECIPITATOR SECTION FOR EXTRACTING FINE PARTICLES FROM SAID MEDIUM AND INCLUDING, (A) COLLECTOR AND DISCHARGE ELECTRODES DISPOSED IN SPACED RELATION TO DEFINE A FLOW PASSAGE THEREBETWEEN HAVING AN INPUT AND AN OUTPUT, (B) MEANS TO APPLY A HIGH VOLTAGE BETWEEN SAID COLLECTOR AND DISCHARGE ELECTRODES TO PRODUCE AN ELECTROSTATIC FIELD THEREBETWEEN EXTENDING TRANSVERSELY WITH RESPECT TO THE LONGITUDINAL AXIS OF SAID FLOW PASSAGE, AND C. AN AERODYNAMIC FLOW CONVERTER SECTION COUPLING THE OUTPUT OF SAID CHAMBER TO THE INPUT OF SAID FLOW PASSAGE, SAID CONNVERTER SECTION COMPRISING AN ARRAY OF VANES, EACH HAVING, (A) A FIRST PORTION FORMED BY A SERIES OF PLEATS DEFINING A PLURALITY OF ZIG-ZAG CONDUITS DIVIDING THE WET TURBULENT GASEOUS MEDIUM EMERGING FROM THE OUTPUT OF SAID CHAMBER INTO MOISTURELADEN GASEOUS STREAMS WHICH IMPINGE ON SAID PLEATS TO CAUSE THE MOISTURE THEREIN TO ADHERE THERETO WHEREBY THE STREAMS LEAVING SAID ZIGZAG CONDUITS ARE IN A RELATIVELY DRY CONDITION TO MINIMIZE ARCING IN SAID ELECTROSTATIC FIELD WHEN THE MEDIUM IS ACTED UPON IN THE FLOW PASSAGE OF THE ELECTROSTATIC PRECIPITATOR SECTION, AND (B) A SECOND AND PLANAR PORTION DEFINING A PLURALITY OF SUBSTANTIALLY UNOBSTRUCTED CONDUITS IN REGISTRATION WITH SAID ZIG-ZAG CONDUITS TO CONVERT THE DRY GASEOUS STREAMS THEREFROM INTO LAMINAE EXTENDING IN PLANES PARALLEL TO THE LONGITUDINAL AXIS OF SAID FLOW PASSAGE AND CAUSING THE DRY MEDIUM ENTERING SAID FLOW PASSAGE TO ASSUME A LAMINAR FORM WHEREBY ELECTROSTATIC PRECIPITATION IS EFFECTED THEREIN WITH OPTIMUM EFFICIENCY AND SAID MEDIUM PASSES OUT OF THE OUTPUT OF SAID FLOW PASSAGE IN DECONTAMINATED FORM.