GRANULAR ABRASIVE CLEANING OF AN EMITTER WIRE

摘要

An apparatus for cleaning an emitter electrode (208, 308, 508, 608, 708) in electrohydrodynamic fluid accelerator (820) and precipitator devices via movement of a cleaning device (200, 300, 500, 700) including abrasive particulates (202, 302, 502, 602) positioned to frictionally engage the emitter electrode. The cleaning device (200, 300, 500, 700) causes the abrasive particulates (202, 302, 502, 602) to travel along a longitudinal extent of the emitter electrode to remove detrimental material accumulated on the electrode. The abrasive particulates (202, 302, 502, 602) can be retained in a housing (204, 404) or on opposed cleaning surfaces (304, 306, 604, 606) and can be compressed by the housing (204, 404) or by an applied force to abrade detrimental material from the electrode surface.