Which of the following is a method used to get rid of particulate matter present in the exhaust from a thermal power plant ? (a) Magnetic precipitator (b) Chromatography (c) Electrostatic precipitator (d) Mass spectrometry
Option C. Electrostatic precipitators ( ESPs) are very efficient devices which remove 99% of particulates present in the industrial and thermal plant exhausts. There are electrode wires and a stage of collecting plates. The collecting plates are connected with ground. The electrode wires are provided with several thousand volts electric current. It creates a corona which releases electrons. The electrons attach to the suspended particles and make them negatively charged within a fraction of a second. Air with charged particles passes slowly over collecting plates. The particulate matter settles over them and are removed.
