SAFETY AND

POLLUTION CONTROL
Lecture 2

Dr. Godfred Ohemeng-Boahen

Department of Chemical Engineering, KNUST
 Particulate Matter Control Equipment
The process equipment for the control of particulate matter include:
• Wet scrubber
• Electrostatic precipitator (ESP)
• Fabric filter (Baghouse)
• Cyclone

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 Wet scrubber
• A wet scrubber employs the
principle of impaction and
interception of dust particles by
droplets of water.

• The larger, heavier water droplets

are easily separated from the gas by
gravity.

• The solids particles can then be

independently separated from the
water, or the water can be
otherwise treated before re-use or Source:
discharge. https://www.indiamart.com/proddetail/wet-scrubbers-5371423355.
html
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 Electrostatic precipitator (ESP)
• An electrostatic precipitator is a
large, industrial emission-control
unit.
• It is designed to trap and remove
dust particles from the exhaust gas
stream of an industrial process.

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 ESP: How the ESP works
Operating Principle
Electrodes at high voltage create a corona
effect (ionized atmosphere) surrounding
them. This charges the passing particles.
Once charged, particles are subject to a
transverse electrostatic force that pulls
them toward the collecting plates. Plates
are periodically rapped (vibrated) to
dislodge the collected particles which are
received in a hooper.

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/313428450_Microplas
mas_Environmental_and_Biological_Applications/figures?lo=1

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 ESP: How the ESP works
3 steps of electrostatic precipitation

• Charging of particles.
• Migration of charged particles to collection plates.
• Removal of collected particles from the plates.

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 ESP: Deutsch Design Equation
The Efficiency of the ESP is estimated The particle migration velocity is
using eqn. 1 also given by eqn. 2
 = 1 - exp(-A/Q)….. (1)
….. (2)
where  = particle collection efficiency
 = particle migration velocity
A = total plate collection area
Q = total gas flow rate

( −𝝎 𝑨/ 𝑸 )
𝜼=𝟏 − 𝒆
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 Electrostatic precipitator cont.d
For an ESP with N sections in the direction of flow, the total collection
area = the total number of active plates x the double-sided area plate.

……(3)
Where
= two sided plate area (.
n = number of plates in parallel across the width of the ESP.
N = total number of plates in the ESP.
= number of sections in the direction of flow.
H = plate height, m.
= plate length, m.
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 ESP: Power consumption
Corona power can be approximated by:
.......(4)
Where
= corona power, W
= corona current, A
= average voltage, V
Effective drift velocity () is related to corona power
.......(5)as:

For a well built fly-ash ESP, k is in the range of 0.5 – 0.7 for units of in
ft/sec; in
The ratio of is the power density.
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 ESP: Problems
• Example: If the plate collection area of an ESP is 6000m2, the gas flow
rate is 10,000m3/min and the particle migration velocity is 0.105 m/s,
find the efficiency of the ESP using the Deutsch Design Equation.

Ans: 0.9772 or 97.72%

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 ESP: Advantages and Limitations
Advantages:
• Very high efficiency even for very small particles.
• Ability to handle very large gas flow rates with low pressure losses.
• Lower operating cost.

Limitations:
• High capital cost.
• Taking a lot of space.
• Failure to operate on particles with high electrical resistivity.
• Not flexible once installed.
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 ESP: Applications
• 80% of ESPs in US used in electric power industry (especially coal-
fired).
• 7% in pulp & paper industry.
• 3% in iron & steel industry.
• 3% in cement and other rock production.

• 95% of coal-fired power plants world-wide use ESPs.

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 Fabric filter/ Baghouse: Parts of a Baghouse

https://www.environmental-expert.com/products/bag-house-dust-
collectors-560786

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 Fabric filter/ Baghouse: Collection Mechanism
Major collection mechanism:
• Impaction, interception, diffusion
• Baghouses consist of filter media (bags)
suspended inside a housing or casing.
• Fans on the outside of the housing blow
the dirty or polluted air through the
filters, capturing the suspended
particulate matter and solids on the
bags and pushing clean air through the
outlet.
• While filtering, a baghouse allows the
formation of a layer of particulate
matter on its surface, called a dust cake.

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 Fabric filter/ Baghouse: Collection Mechanism cont.d
• This dust cake continues to build until the thickness reaches a level
where flow is sufficiently restricted; at this point, the bags are
cleaned.

• Cleaning can be done during operation or offline depending on the

type of baghouse.

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Fabric filter/ Baghouse: Design method summary
1. Choose type of baghouse
2. Choose bag fabric
3. Design bags: Determine
a) filtering velocity
b) net cloth area
c) number of compartments
d) gross cloth area
e) bag length and diameter
f) number of bags

4. Calculate pressure drop (NB: make adjustment if pressure drop is too

high)
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1. Choosing a type of baghouse: Shaker Baghouse
• Constructed with several
compartments.

• Bags are cleaned during shaking.

• Bags are off-line during cleaning

• Dust accumulates on inner surface

of fabric bag.

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1. Choosing a type of baghouse: Reverse Air Baghouse

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 Reverse Air Baghouse
• In reverse-air baghouses, the bags are fastened onto a cell plate at the
bottom of the baghouse and suspended from an adjustable hanger frame
at the top.

• Dirty gas flow normally enters the baghouse and passes through the bag
from the inside, and the dust collects on the inside of the bags.

• Reverse-air baghouses are compartmentalized to allow continuous

operation. Before a cleaning cycle begins, filtration is stopped in the
compartment to be cleaned.

• Bags are cleaned by injecting clean air into the dust collector in a reverse
direction, which pressurizes
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the compartment.
Safety and Pollution Control_ CHE 459 19
 Reverse Air Baghouse cont.d
• The pressure makes the bags collapse partially, causing the dust cake to
crack and fall into the hopper below.

• At the end of the cleaning cycle, reverse airflow is discontinued, and the
compartment is returned to the main stream.

• The flow of the dirty gas helps maintain the shape of the bag. However, to
prevent total collapse and fabric chafing during the cleaning cycle, rigid
rings are sewn into the bags at intervals.

• Space requirements for a reverse-air baghouse are comparable to those of

a shaker baghouse; however, maintenance needs are somewhat greater.
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1. Choosing a type of baghouse: Reverse Air Baghouse
• Cleaning method: Air flows
opposite (reverse) to its direction
during filtration.

• The reverse air flow collapses the

bags, and the dust cakes fall off.
Reverse air flow lasts from a few
seconds to several minutes.

• Bags are off-line during cleaning.

• Air flows from top to bottom; Source: Control of Particulate Emissions, North Carolina State
dust accumulates on the inside. University, 1995

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 Reverse Air/Shaker
Advantage
• Simple to design
• Lower pressure

Disadvantages
• Higher capital costs due to higher maintenance needs
• Takes lager space
• Needs more maintenance
• Needs more manual labor

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 Pulse Jet Baghouse

Pulse-Jet Bag Filter | Baghouse Dust Collector | Fabric

Collector (copper-recycle.com)

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 Pulse Jet Baghouse
• In reverse-pulse-jet baghouses, individual bags are supported by a
metal cage (filter cage), which is fastened onto a cell plate at the top
of the baghouse.

• Dirty gas enters from the bottom of the baghouse and flows from
outside to inside the bags. The metal cage prevents collapse of the
bag.

• Bags are cleaned by a short burst of compressed air injected through

a common manifold over a row of bags.

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 Pulse Jet Baghouse cont.d
• The compressed air is accelerated by a venturi nozzle mounted at the
reverse-jet baghouse top of the bag.

• Since the duration of the compressed-air burst is short (0.1s), it acts

as a rapidly moving air bubble, traveling through the entire length of
the bag and causing the bag surfaces to flex.

• This flexing of the bags breaks the dust cake, and the dislodged dust
falls into a storage hopper below.

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 Pulse Jet Baghouse cont.d
• Reverse-pulse-jet dust collectors can be operated continuously and
cleaned without interruption of flow because the burst of compressed
air is very small compared with the total volume of dusty air through
the collector.

• Because of this continuous-cleaning feature, reverse-jet dust

collectors are usually not compartmentalized.

• These collectors provide more complete cleaning and reconditioning

of bags than shaker or reverse-air cleaning methods.

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 Pulse Jet Baghouse cont.d
• Also, the continuous-cleaning feature allows them to operate at
higher air-to-cloth ratios, so the space requirements are lower.

• This cleaning system works with the help of digital sequential timer
attached to the fabric filter. This timer indicates the solenoid valve to
inject the air to the blow pipe.

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 1. Choosing a type of baghouse: Pulse-Jet Baghouse
• A high pressure jet of air is used to clean bags (90-100
psi or 620-689 kPa).

• Bags are cleaned so significantly no dust cake remains

on fabric.

• Therefore, felted fabrics must be used

(which have higher collection efficiencies without a dust
cake than woven fabrics).

• Cleaning done while bags are on-line (only takes 0.1

second or less).

• Air flows from top of bag to bottom; dust accumulates

on the outside.
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 Pulse-Jet Baghouse
Advantages
• Lower capital costs due to smaller size and maintenance cost.
• Takes smaller space due continuous-cleaning feature which allows
them to operate at higher air-to-cloth ratios.
• Requires minimum amount of required labor.
• Less time in cleaning.

Disadvantages
• Higher operational cost (due to electricity needed to clean bags).

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 2. Choose bag fabric: Woven
• Used in Reverse air shaker
• Pores >50m

• Heavier weight - longer service life

• Materials: cotton, nylon, fiberglass,

metals, acrylics, polypropylene.

Source: Control of Particulate Emissions, North Carolina

State University, 1995
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 2. Choose bag fabric: Felted fabric
• Randomly oriented fibers

• Only used in Pulse jet (can’t be

adequately cleaned in reverse-air,
shaker)

• Necessary for pulse jet because

they have higher collection
efficiencies without a dust cake
than woven fabrics (dust cake is
completely removed during
Figure from Control of Particulate Emissions, North
cleaning for pulse jet) Carolina State University, 1995
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 2. Choose bag fabric
Table 1. Temperature and Chemical resistance of some common industrial Fabrics

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3. Design bags: a) Determination of filtering velocity
Filtration velocity (v) = Q/A = gas flowrate / fabric (cloth) area
Table 2. Maximum filtering velocities for various dust or fumes in Reverse Air Baghouses

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3. Design bags: a) Determination of filtering velocity

Table 3. Maximum filtering velocities for various dust or fumes in Pulse-Jet Baghouses

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3. Design bags: b) Determine net cloth area
• Gross vs. net area
Gross area is the total filter area
Net area is area of filtering compartments (includes one
compartment off-line)

• Calculate using v = Q/ based on maximum expected flow rate Q.

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 3. Design bags: d) Determine gross cloth area
Gross cloth area = Net cloth area × factor

Table 4. Factors to obtain gross cloth area from net cloth area

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3. Design bags: c) Determine number of compartments
• Important for reverse-air systems because bags must be taken off line
for cleaning.
Table 5. Number of Compartments as a function of Net Cloth Area

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3. Design bags: e) Determine bag length and diameter
Bag length
• Typical bag lengths
8-12 ft for pulse-jet (can be 6-14 ft)
16-40 ft for reverse-air (≈5-12m)

Bag diameter
Pulse jet: 4 to 6 inches (≈10-15 cm)
Reverse air & shaker: 6 to 18 inches (≈ 15- 46 cm)

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 3. Design bags
f) Determine number of bags
• Initial estimate:
Number of bags = (gross cloth area)/(cloth area per bag)

• Round up to the nearest whole number (can’t have a fraction of a

bag).
• Make sure that the number of bags is divisible by the number of
compartments; if not, add bags until it is.

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 Baghouse compared to other particle collection
technologies
Advantages
• Least expensive
• Easily accessible

Disadvantages
• Filters require periodic replacement.
• Inconvenience due to frequent bag replacement.
• Higher maintenance cost.
• Lower collection efficiency.
• Fabric cannot withstand higher heat applications compared with ESP.
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 Common Applications of Baghouse
• Reverse-air/shaker: cement kilns, utility coal-fired boilers, etc.

• Pulse-jet: asphalt plants, cement plants, industrial boilers (small to

medium industrial applications).

NB. About half of fabric filters are pulse-jet.

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