A heating, ventilation, and air conditioning system (HVAC system) for a motor vehicle is provided, which has an ionizer for generating a corona discharge field, which contains at least one polarized discharge electrode and at least one counter electrode with the opposite polarity of the discharge electrode, a particle filter for removing particles from an air flow, and a flow path that defines a flow direction for air leading to a vehicle interior and conducts the air through the ionizer and the particle filter, wherein the ionizer is upstream of the particle filter in the flow path.

The ionization effect can be improved when the discharge electrodes have numerous needles that point in the flow direction for the air, or counter to the flow direction for the air, and when the discharge electrodes and dedicated counter electrodes are spaced apart in a direction transverse to the flow direction for the air.

An air filtering device for an air conditioner, in particular for filtering out particles, preferably pollutants, from air is provided. The air filtering device comprises a flow path through which air flows along a flow direction, an ionizer for generating ions in the flow path, and grid structure made of an electrically conductive material, that is upstream of the ionizer in the flow path in the flow direction, which forms a first electrode. A filter is downstream of the ionizer in the flow path in the flow direction which has a layer that forms a second electrode. The air filtering device also comprises a high voltage power source that has an electric pole and an electric counter-pole for generating a high voltage between the pole and the counter pole. The pole is electrically connected to the ionizer. The counter-pole is electrically connected to the first and second electrodes. there is a third electrode near the ionizer 3, electrically separated therefrom, which is electrically connected to the first and second electrodes 5a, 5b.

A system and method of treating air. Bipolar ionization is delivered to an airflow within a conduit from a tubeless ion generator. The ionized airflow may be delivered to a conditioned airspace by an HVAC system. In alternate applications, the airflow delivers ionized combustion air to an engine. The invention also includes a mounting assembly for positioning one or more ion generators into an airflow.

A device and method of using the device to detect the presence and composition of clots and other target objects in a circulatory vessel of a living subject is described. In particular, devices and methods of detecting the presence and composition of clots and other target objects in a circulatory vessel of a living subject using in vivo photoacoustic flow cytometry techniques is described.

An electrostatic collector including: a collection chamber delimited by a tubular wall oriented along a first axis; a collection electrode configured to be disposed inside the collection chamber against the wall; a discharge electrode, of elongate form, that extends along the first axis and includes an end, in a shape of a tip, the end being disposed opposite the collection electrode; a first part of a first diameter, emerging on the tip-shaped end, a second part of a second diameter, the second diameter being greater than or equal to twice the first diameter, the second diameter for example being between 2 and 6 times the first diameter; and a sudden widening, extending between the first part and the second part.

An electrification apparatus perform a method for electric dust collection. The electrification apparatus includes a frame, a conductive microfiber, a conductive plate, and a ground connector disposed between the conductive microfiber and the conductive plate. The ground connector is configured to be insulated based on a high voltage being applied to the conductive microfiber and to be connected to a ground electrode based on the high voltage being blocked to the conductive microfiber.

A cleaning device for cleaning an air-ionizing part of an electrode. The device comprises a cleaning member arranged to be in physical contact with the air-ionizing part of the electrode, the air-ionizing part of electrode and the cleaning member being arranged to slide relative to each other. The cleaning device further comprises an actuator arranged to activate the relative motion between the air-ionizing part of the electrode and the cleaning member. There is also provided an ionization electrode comprising the air-ionizing part and the cleaning device, as well as a ultrafine particle sensor, an air ionizer or an electrostatic air cleaner comprising such an electrode.

In unipolar charging, a discharge current value at which charging efficiency is best and a discharge current dependency of multivalent charging differ depending on the particle size of the particles that are the object of charging. Therefore, for each particle size, a discharge voltage at which univalent charging efficiency is best and a discharge voltage at which the signal-to-noise ratio of a signal when particles of a different size are regarded as noise is best are obtained through experiment and stored in a storage unit (21). When scanning a classification voltage that is applied to a classification unit (32) of a DMA (3) to measure particle size distribution, a system controlling unit (2) acquires an optimal voltage corresponding to a particle size from the storage unit (21), and in conjunction with scanning of the classification voltage, controls a discharge power source (11) via a discharge voltage controlling unit (10) so that the discharge voltage is scanned in accordance with changes in particle size. It is thereby possible, for example, to reduce the amount of multivalent charged particles of different particle sizes that are mixed in with particles with a predetermined particle size that are extracted by classification, and to accurately determine the particle size distribution.

An air cleaning device for removing aerosol particles from an air stream comprising: a particle charger comprising a housing and an electrode arrangement therein for generating air ions in the air stream, the particle charger having a particle charging zone within which, in use, aerosol particles in the air stream are electrically charged via collision with the air ions; a filter for precipitating electrically charged aerosol particles from the air stream moving through the device; and an air mover, comprising a casing, for moving the air stream through the device; wherein the particle charger and the air mover are provided upstream of the filter; and wherein the housing of the particle charger is hermetically sealed to the casing of the air mover in the direction of air flow through the device, such that the particle charger and the air mover are intimately coupled together, whereby all air entering the device has to pass through both the particle charger and the air mover.

A device for cleaning ionizing electrodes includes a coil spring fixedly mounted at opposite ends, and an ionizing electrode operable by an actuator plunger for reciprocating movement relative to an axis of the coil spring along a line that extends from an outer periphery of the spring toward an inner periphery thereof, whereby during each reciprocating movement a tip of the electrode penetrates a complete cross-section of the coil spring so as to intersect the adjacent coils at opposing extremities thereof each of which is thereby able to collect dust and other waste deposits from the electrode.