A hybrid wet electrostatic precipitator for collecting sub-micron and
nano-particulate material. The collector can be made up of three
concentric tubes or pipes with an internally formed gas path
communicating between an inlet and an outlet. A first collector and
discharging zone can be provided in the gas path to create a corona
discharge to charge particles and to collect particulate. A second
collector can be formed by a porous wall which can act as a filtration
device. A third collector can be formed by two or more of the concentric
circular tubes, one porous and one solid, with a zone of uniform electric
field between them. The porous tube can be either the inner tube or the
middle tube. A liquid pool can be placed between the first and third
collectors to provide chemical treatment of the gas flow or simply
filtration as the gas passes through. A high-tension voltage supply can
be used to supply a discharge voltage capable of generating a corona
discharge into the flow in the first zone. The corona discharge can cause
the fine particulate to become charged and to be captured on the
collecting electrode in a zone of uniform field. A second (or the same)
high-tension voltage supply can create the uniform electric field.