This paper is aimed at investigating thoroughly the corona performance in the
wire-cylinder electrostatic precipitor (ESP) with loading by suspended particles in the
exhaust of a diesel engine. The onset voltage of negative corona on the discharge wire is
calculated based on the criterion of self-sustained discharge. The ionized field in the ESP
is mathematically modeled for calculating the spatial distribution of the space-charge
density due to both the ions and the charged particles as well as the components of the
electric field including the applied field and the field due to the space charge. This is in
addition to the calculation of the current-voltage characteristics of the ESP with particle
loading.