How Does a Baghouse Dust Collector Work?
Baghouse Basics
An industrial baghouse dust collector, when paired with an industrial blower, pulls in air and cleans dust, dirt and other particulate matter generated by manufacturing processes from it.
As part of an industrial dust collection system, baghouses help provide workers with a safer environment by improving air quality, reducing fire and explosion hazards, removing hazardous particulates and improving productivity through ease-of-maintenance. Baghouse dust collectors also prevent particulate matter from entering the atmosphere. How does a baghouse system work? That’s where engineering and design play a key role.
How a Baghouse Works: Baghouse Dust Collector Working Principles
While they’re built in different designs and sizes, all baghouses essentially operate in the same way. Air from an industrial environment enters a baghouse through an air inlet or duct. The baghouse contains rows of fabric tube-shaped bags, which filter the particulate matter and other contaminants from the air. As the air passes through the fabric, dust and other particles are separated from the air. Smaller particulates collect on the bags and larger particulates fall into a hopper below.
After the air is filtered, it moves out of the baghouse through a clean air outlet or duct. A cleaning mechanism or system (a few examples of these mechanisms are outlined below) also works to remove built-up particulate from the fabric bags, causing it to fall into the hopper below.
Baghouse Dust Collector Types
While baghouse dust collector systems all work in the same basic way, there are a few different varieties.
- Reverse air dust collectors, for example, use a low-pressure reversed flow to backflush the air through the filter bags.
- Pulse jet dust collectors, meanwhile, use puffs of pressurized air, pulsing air through the filters.
- Shaker dust collectors are used in facilities where compressed air is impractical, like mines. These dust collectors use mechanics to shake dust from the filter bags and are common for certain particulates more easily separated from filters, like chicken dander and feathers.
IVI and Baghouse Dust Collectors
IVI has designed, fabricated, installed and maintained hundreds of baghouse dust collection systems across a variety of industries, including mining, pulp and paper, foundries and beyond. Each system is designed to specifically address particle types, explosion protection guidelines, regulatory emission rates and much more. Whether built for fumes, fine or heavy dust, each custom-engineered baghouse provides cleaner and safer facilities and workplaces.
How Do Baghouses Work For You?
Now with an understanding of how a baghouse works, you can decide whether an industrial baghouse dust collector is the solution for you.