Laboratory investigation of electrical dissipation of warm fog

Abstract

A 27-cubic- foot fog chamber was constructed to investigate fog clearing by electrical means. Fogging of the chamber was accomplished with a spray nozzle driven by pre-humidified air, producing water droplets ranging from 10µ to 75µ. A corona discharge head in the center of the chamber was operated from 0 to 100 kV and measurements of fog conditions were made optically and with coated slides placed at various positions in the chamber. Rapid clearing was caused by the corona discharge. The dominant clearing mechanisms identified were coalescence and pushing of charged droplets to the walls of the chamber; the small size of the chamber precluded determination of which mechanism would be most important in large­ scale fog clearing.