Production and neutralization of a charged aerosol by corona fields

The condensation of one of the components in a gas flow mixture is shown to increase significantly the amount of current blown past a negative point-ring corona discharge. Using a nozzle configuration, the power required to form and charge the aerosol can be shown to originate from the mechanical energy of the flow and not from the power supply feeding the corona discharge. At constant velocity and pressure the amount of current available from the point is not affected by gas composition and does not vary significantly with particle size if a minimum size is exceeded. The highly charged aerosol cloud has a space charge density such that it invokes a positive corona discharge from a grounded point in its vicinity. This discharge effectively neutralizes the cloud charge. In consequence, this method indicates attractive possibilities for experimentation in the production and interaction of positively and negatively charged miniature cloud masses and electrical discharges between them.