amey01 said:
This is what I would have thought too, but my concern was that if they negatively charge dust particles then they would be attracted to the positive charge in the stator?
Possibly... I've heard in the past that ion generators, as opposed to electronic/electrostatic filters, cause the dirt/dust particles to attach to surfaces in the house like walls, etc. The air is cleaner, but the walls get dirty. This is really obvious if there is a smoker in the house.
Here is a reference for the above from the California Air Resources Board:
"Electronic air cleaners. There are three types of electronic air cleaners: electrostatic precipitators (ESPs), ionizers, and mechanical-electronic hybrids. ESPs use a small electrical charge to collect particles from air pulled through the device. Ionizers, or negative ion generators, cause particles to stick to materials near the ionizer (such as the carpet and walls). Also available are hybrid air cleaners that have both mechanical and electronic devices for pollutant removal. "
http://www.arb.ca.gov/research/indoor/acdsumm.htm
With a charged field like an ML stator in the area, I would think that the attraction would be exaggerated.
My parents have had whole-house electronic (powered) filters in their HVAC systems and they work quite well. The principal is very similar to how an ML speaker works: a metalized filter is electronically charged, and the resulting field attracts particles from the air stream blown through the HVAC. You can actually hear the filter arc as it grabs particles. When you first crank one up, you get a bunch of static pops. Over time, the house air is cleaned, resulting in very few pops.
