Abstract: It is difficult to calculate the electric filed distribution in the electrostatic precipitator with complex electrodes, such as the barbed electrodes. In order to establish the reasonable geometric models of these electrodes, the study of the discharge characteristic is very necessary. This paper established an experimental platform with industrial high voltage source to study the discharge characteristics of the factual RS-type barbed electrodes. The locations where the corona discharge occurs were observed and the voltage-current characteristics, the current density distributions on the collection plate were measured. By using the hemisphere to replace the tip portion of the barbed electrode, the electric field intensity distribution on the surface of the electrode was analyzed numerically. The research results show that the corona discharge mainly occurs on the tip portion of the RS-type barbed electrode. The slice portion of the electrode can produce the discharge in the absence of the tip portion, and the tube portion of the electrode can also produce the discharge in the absence of both the tip portion and the slice portion. There is a clear corresponding relationship between the current density distribution on the collecting plate and the arrangement of the tip on the electrode. The parts closer to the electrode tips on the collection plate have higher current density. In addition, the current density distribution on the collecting plate is not uniform along the longitudinal direction of the RS-type barbed electrode.