Reverse-flow baghouse

1. An apparatus for removing particulate from a particulate-laden gas stream comprising:

a) a housing having an inlet and an outlet;

b) a plurality of channels disposed within the housing between the inlet and the outlet;

c) at least one filter disposed within each channel,

i) each filter having an inlet side and an outlet side;

d) exhaust means for drawing the particulate-laden gas stream from the inlet through at least one channel to the outlet and through the at least one filter from the inlet side to the outlet side;

e) at least one valve for selectively cleaning the at least one filter in a channel to be cleaned with means for

i) shutting down the flow of the particulate-laden gas stream from a full flow rate in an at least one channel to be cleaned and drawing a flow of a cleaning gas stream through the at least one channel to be cleaned and the at least one filter in that channel from the outlet side to the inlet side and through the at least one channel not being cleaned to the outlet;

ii) thereafter shutting down the flow of the cleaning gas stream in the at least one channel to be cleaned and returning the flow of the particulate-laden gas stream to the at least one channel to be cleaned from the inlet to the outlet; and,

f) means associated with the at least one valve for controlling the rates of

i) shutting down the flow of the particulate-laden gas stream,

ii) drawing a flow of the cleaning gas stream at a first flow rate,

iii) shutting down the flow of the cleaning gas stream,

iv) returning the flow of the particulate-laden gas stream at a second flow rate, wherein the second flow rate is less than the full rate and less than the first flow rate, and

v) increasing the second flow rate until it is substantially equal to the full flow rate.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the means associated with the at least one valve comprises at least one nozzle and at least one channel.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein returning the flow of particulate-laden gas stream to a cleaned channel is controlled by a movement of the at least one nozzle.

4. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein the at least one nozzle is rotatable.

5. The apparatus of claim 4 further comprising means for rotating the at least one nozzle.

6. The apparatus of claim 5 wherein the nozzle rotates to the at least one channel to be cleaned.

7. The apparatus of claim 6 wherein the flow of particulate-laden gas stream is shut down when the nozzle rotates to the channel to be cleaned.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the flow of cleaning gas stream is drawn through the at least one channel to be cleaned when the at least one valve opens.

9. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the flow of cleaning gas stream is shut down when the at least one valve closes.

10. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the exhaust means is a suction fan.

11. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the cleaning gas stream is air.

12. The apparatus of claim 11 wherein the air is from the ambient atmosphere.

13. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the at least one valve is a poppet style valve.

14. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the at least one valve is articulated via means selected from the group comprising a hydraulic cylinder, a pneumatic cylinder, or a cam.

15. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the means associated with controlling the rate of returning the flow of the particulate-laden gas stream provides a variable flow rate of the particulate-laden gas stream.

16. An apparatus for removing particulate from a particulate-laden gas stream comprising

a) a housing having an inlet and an outlet;

b) a plurality of channels disposed within the housing between the inlet and the outlet;

c) at least one filter disposed within each channel,

i) each filter having an inlet side and an outlet side;

d) exhaust means for drawing the particulate-laden gas stream from the inlet through at least one channel to the outlet and through the at least one filter from the inlet side to the outlet side; and,

e) at least one valve for selectively cleaning the at least one filter in a channel to be cleaned with means for

i) shutting down the flow of the particulate-laden gas stream in an at least one channel to be cleaned and drawing a flow of a cleaning gas stream at a first flow rate through the at least one channel to be cleaned and the at least one filter in that channel from the outlet side to the inlet side and through the at least one channel not being cleaned to the outlet;

ii) shutting down the flow of the cleaning gas stream in the at least one channel to be cleaned and returning the flow of the particulate-laden gas stream from the inlet to the at least one channel that was cleaned to the outlet;

iii) thereafter starting up the flow of particulate-laden gas stream in the at least one channel that was cleaned at a second flow rate, wherein the second flow rate is lower than a full operating flow rate and the first flow rate;

iv) adjusting the second flow rate of the particulate-laden gas stream to achieve substantially the full operating flow rate.

17. The apparatus of claim 16 wherein the means associated with the at least one valve comprises at least one nozzle and at least one channel.

18. The apparatus of claim 17 wherein starting up the flow of particulate-laden gas stream to a cleaned channel is controlled by a movement of the at least one nozzle.

19. The apparatus of claim 17 wherein the at least one nozzle is rotatable.

20. The apparatus of claim 19 further comprising means for rotating the at least one nozzle.

21. The apparatus of claim 20 wherein the nozzle rotates to the at least one channel to be cleaned.

22. The apparatus of claim 21 wherein the flow of particulate-laden gas stream is shut down when the nozzle rotates to the channel to be cleaned.

23. The apparatus of claim 16 wherein the flow of cleaning gas stream is drawn through the at least one channel to be cleaned when the at least one valve opens.

24. The apparatus of claim 16 wherein the flow of cleaning gas stream is shut down when the at least one valve closes.

25. The apparatus of claim 16 wherein the exhaust means is a suction fan.

26. The apparatus of claim 16 wherein the cleaning gas stream is air.

27. The apparatus of claim 26 wherein the air is from the ambient atmosphere.

28. The apparatus of claim 16 wherein the at least one valve is a poppet style valve.

29. The apparatus of claim 16 wherein the at least one valve is articulated via means selected from the group comprising a hydraulic cylinder, a pneumatic cylinder, or a cam.

30. The apparatus of claim 16 wherein the means for adjusting the second flow rate of the particulate-laden gas stream provides a variable flow rate of the particulate-laden gas stream.

31. An apparatus for removing particulate from a particulate-laden gas stream comprising:

a) a housing having an inlet and an outlet;

b) a plurality of channels disposed within the housing between the inlet and the outlet;

c) at least one filter disposed within each channel,

i) each filter having an inlet side and an outlet side;

d) exhaust means for drawing the particulate-laden gas stream from the inlet through at least one channel to the outlet and through the at least one filter from the inlet side to the outlet side; and,

e) at least one valve for selectively controlling an input of a cleaning gas stream;

f) at least one nozzle for selectively directing the input of the cleaning gas stream;

g) means associated with the at least one nozzle for controlling the movement of the at least one nozzle, wherein the at least one nozzle moves when the at least one valve prevents the input of the cleaning gas stream; and,

h) at least one baffle for containing the flow of the cleaning gas stream in at least one channel.

32. The apparatus of claim 31 wherein the at least one nozzle controls an input of the particulate-laden gas stream to a clean channel.

33. The apparatus of claim 31 wherein the at least one nozzle is rotatable.

34. The apparatus of claim 33 further comprising means for rotating the at least one nozzle.

35. The apparatus of claim 34 wherein the nozzle rotates to the at least one channel to be cleaned.

36. The apparatus of claim 35 wherein the flow of particulate-laden gas stream is shut down when the nozzle rotates to the channel to be cleaned.

37. The apparatus of claim 31 wherein the flow of cleaning gas stream is drawn through the at least one channel to be cleaned when the at least one valve opens.

38. The apparatus of claim 31 wherein the flow of cleaning gas stream is shut down when the at least one valve closes.

39. The apparatus of claim 31 wherein the flow of the particulate-laden gas stream returns at a lower rate than a full operating flow rate.

40. The apparatus of claim 31 wherein the exhaust means is a suction fan.

41. The apparatus of claim 31 wherein the cleaning gas stream is air.

42. The apparatus of claim 41 wherein the air is from the ambient atmosphere.

43. The apparatus of claim 31 wherein the at least one valve is a poppet style valve.

44. The apparatus of claim 31 wherein the at least one valve is articulated via means selected from the group comprising a hydraulic cylinder, a pneumatic cylinder, or a cam.

45. The apparatus of claim 31 wherein the means associated with the at least one nozzle for controlling the movement of the at least one nozzle provides a variable rate of movement.

46. An apparatus for removing particulate from a particulate-laden gas stream having a full flow rate comprising:

a) a housing having an inlet and an outlet;

b) a plurality of channels disposed within the housing between the inlet and the outlet;

c) at least one filter disposed within each channel

i) each filter having an inlet side and an outlet side;

d) exhaust means for drawing the particulate-laden gas stream from the inlet through the at least one channel to the outlet and through the at least one filter from the inlet side to the outlet side; and,

e) control means for

i) stopping the flow of the particulate-laden gas stream;

ii) introducing a cleaning gas stream into at least one channel at a first flow rate; and,

iii) subsequently introducing the particulate-laden gas stream into the at least one channel at a second flow rate, wherein the second flow rate is less than the first flow rate and the full flow rate, and progressively increasing the second flow rate of the particulate-laden gas stream until the second flow rate substantially equals the full flow rate.

47. The apparatus of claim 46 wherein the control means comprises at least one valve and at least one nozzle.

48. The apparatus of claim 47 wherein the nozzle is rotatable.

49. The apparatus of claim 46 wherein the exhaust means is a suction fan.

50. The apparatus of claim 46 wherein the cleaning gas stream is air.

51. The apparatus of claim 50 wherein the air is from the ambient atmosphere.

52. The apparatus of claim 46 wherein the at least one valve is a poppet style valve.

53. The apparatus of claim 46 wherein the at least one valve is articulated via means selected from the group comprising a hydraulic cylinder, a pneumatic cylinder, or a cam.

54. The apparatus of claim 46 wherein the control means for subsequently introducing the particulate-laden gas stream provides a variable flow rate.

55. A method for removing particulate from a particulate-laden gas stream comprising the steps of:

a) enclosing a plurality of channels in a housing, wherein the housing has an inlet and an outlet and each channel has at least one filter disposed within and each filter has an inlet side and an outlet side;

b) drawing a particulate-laden gas stream at a full operating flow rate from the inlet through an at least one channel to the outlet, and through the at least one filter from the inlet side to the outlet side;

c) shutting down the flow of the particulate-laden gas stream in an at least one channel to be cleaned and drawing a flow of a cleaning gas stream at a first flow rate through the at least one channel to be cleaned and the at least one filter in that channel from the outlet side to the inlet side and through the at least one channel not being cleaned to the outlet;

d) shutting down the flow of the cleaning gas stream in the at least one channel to be cleaned;

e) starting up the flow of the particulate-laden gas stream to the at least one channel that was cleaned at a second flow rate, wherein the second flow rate is lower than the full operating flow rate and the first flow rate; and,

f) adjusting the second flow rate of the particulate-laden gas stream to achieve substantially the full operating flow rate.

56. The method of claim 55 wherein the step of adjusting the second flow rate of the particulate-laden gas stream provides a variable flow rate of the particulate-laden gas stream.

57. The method of claim 55 wherein the step of starting up the flow of the particulate-laden gas stream comprises the step of setting the second flow rate of the particulate-laden gas stream to correspond to the size of the particulate in the particulate-laden gas stream.

58. The method of claim 55 wherein the step of starting up the flow of the particulate-laden gas stream comprises the step of setting the second flow rate of the particulate-laden gas stream to correspond to the concentration of the particulate in the particulate-laden gas stream.