Influence of air humidity on particle filtration performance of a pulse-jet bag filter

• Published in: Journal of aerosol science 2019-04, Vol.130, p.1-9
• Main Authors: Boudhan, Rachid, Joubert, Aurélie, Durécu, Sylvain, Gueraoui, Kamal, Le Coq, Laurence
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Absolute humidity; Bag filter; Capillary condensation; Chemical and Process Engineering; Clogging/unclogging cycles; Engineering Sciences; Environmental Engineering; Environmental Sciences; Filtration performance; Submicronic particles
• ISSN: 0021-8502; 1879-1964
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jaerosci.2019.01.002

A pulse-jet bag filter, representative of those implemented in waste incineration plants for flue gas treatment, was studied at laboratory scale to evaluate the influence of air humidity on the filtration performance. Several cycles of clogging/unclogging were performed with non-hygroscopic submicronic particles with a nanosized fraction with on-line cleaning at operating conditions as similar as possible to those found in the flue gas treatment of waste incineration plants (150 °C – 73 g/m3 of absolute humidity), and in dry conditions (150 °C). The results revealed a significant influence of air humidity on the bag filter performance: faster increase of bag filter pressure drop during clogging in presence of humidity due to water capillary condensation, lower efficiency of particulate cake unclogging and better collection efficiency of particles between 110 and 300 nm in diameter. •Air humidity significantly affects the particulate cake resistance to airflow.•Capillary condensation is the main reason to the formation of compact dust cake.•Cleaning system is less efficient in the presence of significant air humidity.•Collection efficiency increases with humidity for particle sizes higher than 110 nm.