The Golden Rules of Fabric Filtration – Rule #9

The 10 Golden Rules of Fabric Filtration

1. Design your system to accommodate the full range of operating conditions.
2. Design your system to evenly distribute the gas and dust to all areas of the baghouse and never store dust for long periods in the hoppers.
3. Incorporate fabric that is compatible with the full range of inlet conditions and outlet requirements.
4. Make sure the system is compatible with your plant’s O&M procedures and requirements.
5. Inspect all system components thoroughly before installation and again prior to initial start-up for compliance to specifications and for correct assembly.
6. Develop start-up and shutdown procedures to protect your bagset and abide by them.
7. Establish and maintain the required bag cleaning energy and frequency to stabilize system pressure-drop without overcleaning.
8. Monitor and maintain historical records of key system parameters on a regular basis to assess system stability.
9. Identify and solve problems early, before they snowball.

There are three fundamental problems associated with operating a baghouse system:

1. 1. 1. The stack emissions or opacity is too high.
      2. The system cannot process the required gas flow due to high ÄP.
      3. Bag life is unacceptably short.

The challenge of troubleshooting is to identify the root cause, or more likely the multiple causes, of the problem. Problems in baghouses tend to snowball and the observed physical failure is often the result, not the cause, of the problem. A high degree of interaction between process and baghouse and between baghouse components further complicated the analysis.

The easiest way to troubleshoot any system is to compare its present operating characteristics with those which existed during periods of satisfactory operation. The biggest impediments to quick analysis are the almost universal lack of operating baseline data and inadequate maintenance history. A thorough inspection of the baghouse both while operating and while in an off-line condition will allow verification of the current operating status, the level of instrumented parameters, and the condition of major components.

Key troubleshooting tools include stack opacity monitor, flange-to-flange ÄP readout, manometer, chart recorder, compartment ÄP readout, gas flow monitor, individual bag flow monitor (IBFM), annubar, gas temperature monitor, fluorescent powder and black light, fabric test lab, stopwatch, eyes, ears, nose, and brain.

10. When in doubt — go to a lower Gas-to-Cloth ratio.