The electrode of electrostatic precipitator is the core component of flue gas dust removal. During long-term operation, dust will adhere and form nodules on the surface of the electrode, resulting in uneven electric field and decreased dust removal efficiency. In severe cases, it can cause electrode corrosion or short circuit, shortening the overall service life of the equipment. Scientific and standardized electrode cleaning can restore the electric field adsorption performance, extend the electrode service life, and is suitable for the operation and maintenance of electrostatic precipitators in industries such as power plants, steel, and cement.

##1、 Preparation before cleaning: Safety and tools in place
### 1. Safety protection comes first
-Thoroughly cut off the main power supply of the electrostatic precipitator, turn off the high-voltage power supply system, hang a warning sign saying "Equipment maintenance, no closing" to prevent accidental operation and electric shock.
-Open the equipment maintenance door and ventilate for at least 30 minutes to reduce the concentration of residual smoke inside; Operators should wear insulated gloves, dust masks, goggles, and non slip shoes to avoid inhaling dust or accidental collisions.
-The internal oxygen concentration (≥ 19.5%) and toxic and harmful gas (such as SO ₂, CO) concentration of the detection equipment must meet the standards before entering.
### 2. Preparation of tools and consumables
-Basic tools: high-pressure water gun (pressure adjustable to 0.8-1.2MPa), soft bristle brush (made of nylon material to avoid scratching the electrode), scraper (made of plastic or wood, metal prohibited), vacuum cleaner (industrial grade, used to clean loose dust), cloth (made of corrosion-resistant material).
-Auxiliary consumables: neutral cleaning agent (to avoid acid and alkali corrosion of electrode coating), water bucket, anti slip slide (suitable for internal height of equipment), lighting equipment (explosion-proof type, suitable for industrial scenes).

##2、 Practical cleaning steps: phased and orderly processing
### 1. Preprocessing: Remove loose dust
-First, use an industrial vacuum cleaner to remove loose dust from the electrode surface and the gap between the electrode plates. Focus on cleaning the dust accumulation around the cathode wire and the edge of the anode plate to avoid dust clumping and blocking the gap during cleaning.
-For dust with shallow adhesion, gently brush off with a soft bristled brush to prevent deformation or breakage of the cathode wire (the verticality of the cathode wire directly affects the electric field strength).
### 2. Main body cleaning: targeted removal of nodules and adhesive dust
-Adjust the high-pressure water gun to medium and low pressure (0.8-1.0MPa), and use the sequence of "from top to bottom, from inside to outside" to rinse the electrode surface. The anode plate needs to be washed parallel to the surface of the plate to avoid deformation caused by vertical impact; The cathode wire needs to be washed around to ensure that there is no residual dust around the wire body.
-For stubborn nodules (such as high-temperature solidified dust lumps), first gently peel off the surface with a scraper, then wipe with a cloth dipped in neutral cleaning agent, and finally rinse with clean water. Do not use hard objects to strike (to prevent electrode damage).
-During the cleaning process, control the direction of water flow to prevent sewage from flowing back to the equipment electrical cabinet or insulated porcelain bottle. A water receiving cloth can be laid at the bottom to collect sewage and discharge it uniformly for treatment.
### 3. Detail cleaning: ensuring the uniformity of the electric field
-Cleaning electrode spacing: Use tools to calibrate the spacing between the anode plate and the cathode wire (maintaining the design standard, usually 200-300mm), ensuring uniform spacing and avoiding partial discharge of the electric field caused by electrode plate deformation.
-Check and clean the insulation porcelain bottle: Use a dry cloth to wipe the surface of the insulation porcelain bottle, remove dust and water vapor, and avoid the phenomenon of creepage caused by the decrease in insulation performance of the porcelain bottle.
### 4. Drying treatment: avoid secondary corrosion
-Close the maintenance door, turn on the built-in ventilation device of the equipment, or connect an external industrial fan to accelerate the drying of the electrodes and the interior of the equipment. The drying time should not be less than 24 hours (can be extended to 48 hours in high humidity areas).
-After confirming that there is no accumulated water or moisture on the electrode surface, subsequent testing can be carried out.

##3、 Post cleaning inspection and finishing
### 1. performance testing
-Appearance inspection: There is no residual dust or nodules on the electrode surface, no deformation or breakage of the cathode wire, and no obvious scratches or corrosion spots on the anode plate.
-Electrical testing: Connect the power supply, test the stability of the electric field voltage and current, ensure there are no short circuits or discharge abnormalities, and restore the electric field strength to the rated range of the equipment.
-Sealing inspection: Check whether the sealing gasket of the maintenance door is intact to avoid smoke leakage during operation.
### 2. wrapping up
-Clean up the accumulated water and residual debris inside the equipment, remove the water cloth, anti slide and other tools, organize cleaning consumables, and properly treat sewage (in accordance with local environmental standards).
-Record data such as cleaning time, electrode status, cleaning effect, etc., and include them in the equipment maintenance file to provide reference for the next cleaning cycle.

##4、 Key precautions
1. Cleaning cycle: Adjust according to the working conditions. For high dust concentration scenarios (such as blast furnace flue gas in steel plants), clean once every 3-6 months. For regular working conditions, clean once every 6-12 months. When the electric field voltage drops by more than 10% or the dust removal efficiency significantly decreases, it is necessary to clean in advance.
2. Prohibited materials: Avoid direct contact of metal tools with electrodes, and prohibit strong acid and alkali cleaning agents to prevent electrode coating detachment or substrate corrosion.
3. Special scenario: Under high temperature conditions, it is necessary to wait for the equipment to cool down to below 50 ℃ before cleaning; In scenarios containing corrosive gases (such as chemical flue gas), rust prevention treatment can be applied to the electrode surface after cleaning (such as spraying anti-corrosion coatings).

The core of electrode cleaning for electrostatic precipitators is "gentle decontamination, structural protection, and performance recovery". Through standardized operating procedures, it can not only remove dust adhesion problems, but also avoid human damage to electrodes, thereby extending equipment operation life and ensuring stable dust removal efficiency. In practical operation, it is necessary to strictly follow safety regulations and the principle of adapting to working conditions to ensure that the cleaning effect is in parallel with equipment safety.