An electrostatic air cleaner has at least one hole in one of the plates over which air with charged dirt particles is passed. A light source is mounted adjacent to the hole so as to direct its light through the hole. A light sensor detects the level of light passing through the hole. As dirt particles deposit on the plate, they fill in the hole over a period of time, reducing the amount of light passing through the hole. It is possible by measuring the amount of light passing through the hole, to determine the amount of dirt deposited on the plate. In a preferred embodiment, each of the plates contain a hole in alignment with each of the other plates' holes so that light from a single light source can pass through each of the holes. Such a configuration allows both the light source and the light sensor to be located outside of the entire group of plates.

Optical dirty cell sensor for an electronic air cleaner

The present invention provides a process and apparatus for electro-control of climatic and ion conditions and ion enrichment of air, for establishing optimal climatic conditions in buildings, rooms and enclosures of all kinds. It establishes a high voltage electrostatic field between ceiling and floor. It regulates the rate of emission of ions, the field and the other parameters. The present invention has application to air conditioning, agricultural activities, food products and medical activities.

Process and installation for creating optimum climatic conditions in a room by air purification and ionization control

A process for optimizing the power consumption of electrostatic precipitators communicating with a boiler or the like includes a load indexed signal fed forward to a field power controller to approximate the required power levels. An optical transducer is provided in the boiler stack for monitoring the emissions therefrom and feeds back a signal to the controller proportional to the emission from the stack to trim the power level. The controller incrementally adjusts the field power by comparing the opacity generated signal to a continuously optimized limit in order to thereby optimize the power consumption by lowering and raising the field power in response to changes in the opacity. The measurement of power permits the process to be extended to include supervision of electrode cleaning, compensation for fields out of service and flow balancing.

Method and apparatus for optimizing power consumption in an electrostatic precipitator

An automatic precipitator energization control circuit wherein precipitator voltage is rapidly reduced to zero for an independently selective period of duration upon the occurrence of each spark or flashover in the precipitator and gradually increased to a voltage level determined with reference to the voltage level of the precipitator at the time the spark occurred. The deleterious effects of multiple sparks or spark bursts are eliminated, a soft start is assured, and true r.m.s. current is sensed to provide a current limit to override the spark control circuitry to limit the input power to the unit and to clear a short circuit condition in the precipitator from dirt buildup or the like.

Automatic scr precipitator control

In one aspect of the invention a smart air filter monitoring system for a cabinet for electronic devices is provided that includes: an air filter positioned in an air flow so that substantially all the air flows through the filter, the air flow being defined by the cabinet; a light emitting device on a first side of the air filter; at least two light sensors mounted near the air filter, each light sensor directed to the air filter to receive light emitted from the light emitting device after the emitted light has passed through the air filter, the light sensors adapted to generate electrical signals from the emitted light striking the light sensor; an electrical circuit, the electrical circuit generating a signal for indicating that the filter needs to be serviced when the electrical circuit determines that electrical signals received from a combination of the sensors indicates that the filter needs to be serviced.

Method and system for smart air filter monitoring

Method and apparatus for control of high voltage corona discharge in electrostatic dust separators

The control input for the regulator is derived from the number and/or intensity of electrical flash overs which are detected optically as in DT P1276001. Any flash over whose duration is at least one order less than the pulse length of the rectified voltage or current pulse in which it occurs, is converted in the high voltage circuit into an optical signal which in turn is detected directly or over optical wave guide by a photoelectric cell in the regulator circuit. The original optical signal is either from a photo diode (gallium arsenide or phosphide) in parallel with a resistor in the high voltage supply and whose volts drop varies with transients due to flash over or by a Kerr cell in a monochromatic polarized light beam falling directly or via light guide on the photocell, the Kerr cell is connected across the top of a potential divider chain.

Eishold Horst-Guenter

Papers

Method and apparatus for control of high voltage corona discharge in electrostatic dust separators

Voltage regulator for electrostatic dust precipitators

Verfahren zur Spannungsreglung von elektrostatischen Staubabscheidern