to disrupt the airflow.
The baffle deflects and
Finding and Fixing Problems with
Your Pulse Jet Baghouse
John Brown, Midwesco Filter Resources, Inc.
Less than stellar performance from a pulse-jet
baghouse usually stems from dust loading or
filter cleaning problems; or a combination of
both. Left unchecked, these problems can lead to
process bottlenecks and cost your plant money.
This article explains how you can modify your
pulse-jet baghouse to overcome these problems
and improve filtering performance.
Pulse-jet baghouses are popular in bulk solids
processing plants because of their relatively low
cost and small footprint. Bag filters for
baghouses are available in many media and
finishes to provide specific filtering efficiencies
while handling a range of temperatures,
chemistries, and moisture levels. Yet dust loading
and filter cleaning problems keep many
baghouses from performing as they are
designed.
If these problems sound familiar, take heart:
advances in baghouse technology are providing
several simple ways to solve them. The following
information discusses common problem sources
and explains how you can modify your pulse jet
baghouse to fix them.
Dust Loading Problems
Typical dust loading (or dust concentration)
problems that can affect your baghouse include
a high inlet air velocity, inadequate filter surface
and dropout area, and re-entrainment of the
collected dust.
High Inlet Air Velocity
Have you noticed that filter bags near your
baghouses air inlet are worn through? Or that
the baghouse sidewall wear is often caused by a
high inlet air velocity? This causes the dust
particles entrained in the incoming airflow to hit
the media and sidewalls at high speed. To solve
this problem, you can install a baffle or diffuser
(typically consisting of vanes, a strike or
deflector plate, or similar device) inside the inlet
slows down the incoming airflow so that particles
dont strike the filters or sidewall at high speed,
thus reducing or eliminating wear spots. Work
with your baghouse supplier or independent dust
collection consultant to design a baffle that will
prevent wear in your baghouse without creating
airflow problems that can reduce filtering
efficiency.
Inadequate Filter Surface and Dust Dropout Area
A baghouse that uses conventional filter bags,
which are typically made of woven or felt
media, fit over wire support cages (See Figure
1a). Conventional filter bags can be subject to
two dust loading problems: inadequate filter
surface area and a limited dust dropout area.
If your filter bags havent been properly chosen
for your application, your dusts characteristics
have changed, or the airflow through your
baghouse has increased from its design volume,
the filter bags may not provide enough filter
surface area. This results in a high air-to-cloth
ratio (the ratio of inlet air volume to the filter
surface area) which can lead to many other
problems. Common examples are filter blinding
(particles clogging or building up on the media),
product carryover (particles passing through the
media and out the exhaust stack) and high can
velocity (excessive upward air velocity through
the baghouses cross section). These problems
can lead to greater filter wear, not to mention
other system performance problems. The
conventional filter bags long length (typically
several feet) can also limit the dust dropout in the
dirty air plenum above the dust hopper. Again,
the result is high dust loading, which increases
wear on the filters and can lead to a high
pressure drop across the collector.
In most pulse-jet baghouses, you can minimize or
eliminate these sources of high dust loading by
replacing the conventional filter bags with
pleated filter bags. The pleated filter bags
consist of rigid pleated media often spun
bonded polyester formed into a one-piece
cylindrical assembly, as shown in Figure in 1b.
The pleats increase the filter surface area,
providing more filtering in less space. Due to the
greater surface area, the pleated filter bags are
shorter. For example, you can replace a 10 foot
long conventional filter bag with a 40 inch long
pleated filter bag. This design frees up more
area in the dirty air plenum above the dust
hopper and allows the incoming dust more space
to drop out of the inlet airflow, thus minimizing or
eliminating filter wear. The pleated filter bags
one-piece construction also makes it easier to
install and remove than a conventional filter bag
with a wire cage. For help selecting the right
pleated bag media and filter size for your
baghouse, work with your filter supplier or dust
collection consultant.
Figure 1 a. Conventional filter bag with wire support cage
Figure 1 b. Pleated filter bags
Re-Entrainment of the Collected Dust
When dust is stored in your baghouses dust
hopper rather than regularly discharged to
downstream handling equipment, the dust can be
re-entrained by the inlet airflow and carried
back up into the filters, causing the filters to work
twice as hard. You can solve this problem by
upgrading your dust handling system to ensure
that it efficiently empties the dust collected in the
dust hopper. A well designed hopper is the best
insurance against buildup or bridging. In some
cases, a quick fix may to be applying a stick-
resistant coating to the hopper walls, such as a
Teflon-impregnated epoxy. You can also install
a flow aid, such as a vibrator or sonic horn, on
the hopper to ensure that dust remains fluidized
in the hopper. A vibrator imparts a mechanical
vibration to the hopper wall, which in some cases
can compact the dust in the hopper or affect the
hoppers structural integrity. A sonic horn directs
sound waves into the material rather than a
mechanical vibration into the hopper wall. The
sonic horn then gently dislodges the dust without
compacting the dust or damaging the hopper
walls. If your hopper has dents from mallet hits,
this may be the solution for you.
Filter Cleaning Problems
First, some background on the pulse jet
baghouses filters cleaning system. The system
typically includes a header tank (aka. air
header or reservoir) for compressed air and
solenoid valves that control the release of air
from the header tank to individual pulse valves.
To prevent excessive dust loading, a pulse jet baghouse
must provide sufficient surface area and an adequate
dropout area.
Each pulse valve contains a diaphragm that
triggers the release of compressed air into a
blow pipe. Each blow pipe is located over one
row of filter bags in the tube sheet (as shown in
Figure 2) along the blow pipes bottom side are
several blow holes (orifices), one centered above
each filter. The cleaning cycle (pulse timing) is
controlled by a timer board. During cleaning,
each pulse valve releases a rapid pulse of
compressed air that passes through each
blowhole and down into the filter. For a
conventional filter bag on a cage, the cleaning
pulse dislodges the dust on the filter by snapping
the filter against the cage. For a pleated filter
bag, the pulse dislodges the dust by imparting a
harmonic vibration to the filter, releasing the dust
from the wide-open pleats.
Common filter cleaning problems include poorly
cleaned filters, excess compressed air usage,
and prematurely worn filters.
Poorly Cleaned Filters
Poor filter cleaning can result from any of
several problems with the cleaning system. One
common problem is inadequate compressed-air
pressure in the header tank. For most
applications, the compressed air should be at 90
to 100 psi. This allows the system to use fewer
cleaning pulses at higher pressure, which
provides more efficient cleaning with less wear
on the filters. If you suspect your filters arent
being cleaned well because of low compressed-
air pressure, check the header tank air pressure
and, if necessary, increase it. Lower pressures
may reduce baglife by pulsing more frequently.
An improper cleaning cycle on-time (the pulse
duration) can also result in poor filter cleaning.
In most applications the on-time should be 150
milliseconds. You can adjust this time by resetting
the timer board that controls the cleaning cycle.
Another source of poor filter cleaning can be
undersized or restricted cleaning system
components. In some cases, the header tank may
be undersized for your cleaning requirements.
Depending on the tanks mounting configuration
and your available space, you may be able to
add a bigger tank or redesign the existing tank
to enlarge its capacity. In other cases, some
piping in the system may have a smaller
diameter than the rest, thus restricting the airflow
to your filters.
For instance, a cleaning system with 1 diameter
piping from the air compressor to the header
tank and a diameter air regulator or ball
valve in front of the tank will restrict the air
supply to the header tank. You can eliminate the
restrictions by making sure that all piping in the
cleaning system has the same diameter and that
this diameter is adequate for your cleaning
system.
Another trouble source for the cleaning system
can be undersized pulse valves, which dont
provide enough cleaning energy to adequately
pulse the filters and dislodge dust. Pulse valves
are often marginally sized or undersized for a
baghouse application. Besides failing to clean
your filters, undersized valves can also lead to
pulse valve wear. The diaphragm in each pulse
valve should last from 250,000 to 1 million
cleaning cycles, depending on your application.
One way to check for diaphragm wear is to
listen during a cleaning cycle. The diaphragm in
the pulse valve should make a crisp pop sound
when the valve fires. If the diaphragm doesnt
make this sound, or makes a fluttering sound, the
diaphragm could be worn.
Figure 2 Blow pipes over filter bags
This in turn could prematurely wear the pulse
valve, which under normal conditions should last
from five (5) to 15 years. For help determining
whether your pulse valves are undersized, work
with your baghouse supplier or a dust collection
consultant to develop an airflow model of your
cleaning system. Understanding the current
airflow through the system will help you
determine how to improve the amount of
cleaning energy introduced into your filters. One
good solution for undersized pulse valves is to
replace them with high flow valves. These valves
have the same outside dimensions as standard
valves but provide more air capacity inside the
valve and are available in a replacement kit
that typically costs no more than a standard
pulse valve replacement kit.
Poorly cleaned filters can also be caused by
misaligned blow pipes with improper blowhole
shapes or sizes, which can drastically reduce the
amount of cleaning energy directed into the
filters. The blow pipes should be aligned
precisely over the filter row so that each blow
hole is centered over a filter. The blow holes
should be perfectly round and correctly sized to
ensure that the right amount of cleaning energy
can pass through the hole into your filter. The
cleaning air comes out of the hole in about a 20
degree conical pattern. This cone of air should
hit the filter center within two (2) inches of the
filters top. An off-center blow hole can wear
the filter on one side and many not adequately
clean the filter.
Improperly chosen filter media may also result in
poor filter cleaning. If your media provides
depth filtration, (dust cake builds up on the media
and penetrates into the medias pores and
fibers) less air can flow through the media,
causing a higher pressure drop across the
baghouse. The result is that the filters must be
cleaned more often to reduce the pressure drop.
To save energy and filter wear, a better solution
is to switch to a filter bag or pleated filter bag
that provides surface filtration (i.e. spun bonded
polyester or a media with an expanded
polytetrafluoroethylene (ePTFE) membrane). On
such a media, the dust cake builds only on the
surface, allowing easier filter cleaning.
For instance, spun bonded polyester, which
provides surface filtration, is also 58% more
efficient than the 16 ounce polyester felt, which
provides depth filtration. Switching to filters that
provide surface filtration can also help you meet
current EPA emissions and maximum achievable
control technology (MACT) standards for your
local area. Our SB025 spun bonded polyester
has been evaluated by the EPAs ETV verification
protocols. For more information visit
http://www.epa.gov/etv/vt-apc.html#bfp.
For instance, consider a baghouse with an air-to-
cloth ratio of 5:1, grain loading of 3g/acf, and
an operating temperature of 275oF that filters a
dust with a 5-micron average particle size. In
this baghouse, a standard 16 ounce polyester
felt filter bag would release stack emissions of
0.0060g/acf, and a 100% nonwoven spun
bonded polyester bag filter would release only
0.0025 g/acf.
Poor filter cleaning can also result when dust isnt
cleaned off the filters when the baghouse is
offline (that is, when no high-velocity air is
entering the inlet). The lack of incoming airflow
through the offline baghouse allows dust to float
up out of the hopper and land again on the
filters. To prevent this, you can install a timer
board with an automatic blow down feature.
This feature activates the cleaning cycle when the
baghouse goes offline, pulsing air through the
filters to keep dust off them until the baghouse
goes back online. The automatic blow down
feature is often recommended for applications in
which it takes longer to empty the dust from the
hopper, thus requiring a longer offline period.
Excessive Air Usage and Premature Filter Wear
A continuous pulse jet cleaning system, in which
the cleaning cycle is activated at timed intervals,
often causes excessive compressed-air usage
and premature filter wear. You can eliminate
these problems by resetting the cleaning cycles
off-time to reduce the number of cycles or by
setting up the system controls for on-demand
cleaning. This activates the cycle in response to a
preset drop range. For on-demand cleaning,
you must add a pressure drop gauge with a
pressure switch (known as a Photohelic gauge) to
the baghouse. This device measures the pressure
drop (in inches of water column) across the
baghouse and triggers a cleaning cycle only
when the measured pressure drop exceeds the
preset range. By reducing the number of
cleaning cycles, the on-demand system can save
compressed air and reduce filter wear from
excessive cleaning energy. To make sure that
the on-demand system can accurately read the
pressure drop, be sure to regularly use
compressed air to purge dust and other debris
from the air tubing running from the baghouse
housing to the pressure switch. You can also
install an automatic air tubing cleaner that uses
compressed air to keep the tubing clean.
Emission monitors such as PCMEs Stack 990, is an
approved particulate measurement system for
continuously monitoring emissions from industrial
sources. It is predominantly used to monitor
particulate emissions in stacks after filter bags,
cartridge filters, cyclones, and process dryers.
The monitor combines regulatory approvals (EPA
MACT) for both dust measurement and leak
monitoring, with reliable automatic quality
assurance features, rugged operation, and
advanced diagnosis capability for managing
and improving the operation of the filter bags.
The sensor electronics measures the current
signature created by particles interacting with
the grounded sensing rod which protrudes into
the stack. The electronics extract a specific
frequency band of this signal and electronically
filters out the dc current caused by particle
collisions. This signal may be correlated to dust
concentration by comparison to the results of an
iso-kinetic sample for those types of industrial
stack applications for which the instrument is
designed.

A Combination of Problems

In some cases, the baghouses configuration itself

leads to a host of problems; including many of
the filters cleaning and related performance
problems discussed in previous sections, as well
as labor-intensive and dangerous maintenance
procedures. Such maintenance procedures are
typically required in a bottom-loading
baghouse, in which conventional filter bags or
pleated filter bags are installed on and removed
from the tubesheets bottom. During these tasks,
workers must stand in or insert their upper
torsos into the dirty air plenum, which exposes
them to excessive dust and explosive conditions.

A good way to improve your baghouses

performance and reduce maintenance labor and
risk without having to invest in a new baghouse is
to expand the baghouse with a new tubesheet Figure 3 - Expanded Baghouse
section, converting it to a top-loading baghouse
(i.e. see Figure 3).
In the expanded baghouse, the existing
baghouses side wall section (B) and dust hopper
section (C) remain in place. A new section (A)
containing the tubesheet, filter cleaning system,
and a walk-in clean air plenum is lowered onto
the existing section B and then bolted or welded
into place. This allows workers to replace filters
from above the tubesheet while standing in the
clean air plenum, providing a much cleaner,
safer environment. Expanding the baghouse is
also a way to replace a poorly performing or
undersized filter cleaning system and to
reconfigure the number and arrangement of
filters to improve airflow through the baghouse.