EHD-Enhanced Drying with Multiple-Wire Electrode

The enhancement of drying rate by corona discharge from multiple wire electrodes has been experimentally evaluated in this study. The corona wind produced by an array of three wire electrodes, which resembles a series of slot jets, impinges, and removes moisture from the surface of 6 mm glass beads saturated with water. Corona discharges with positive and negative polarities have been considered. Two sets of experiments have been conducted (one with the cross-flow of air and the other without), at 1 kV increment from the corona threshold voltage to a maximum voltage of 25 kV. To evaluate the drying enhancement, a companion experiment was carried out simultaneously for each case under the same ambient conditions but without the application of electric field. Each experiment lasted for at least 5 h. The weight loss of water as well as the ambient temperature and humidity were measured. The results are compared with those obtained with a single wire electrode to evaluate the effectiveness of a multiple-wire system.