Improving Hi-Lo Control by Lowering mbar Levels Brings Significant Benefits

Here are five key advantages:

  1. Enhanced Efficiency: Lower differential pressure (DP) in the baghouse system means that the equipment is operating more efficiently. High DP typically indicates that the system is working harder to push air through the filter media, which can reduce overall efficiency. By reducing the DP to 14 mbar, the system requires less energy to maintain airflow, which improves overall operational efficiency.
  2. Reduced Energy Consumption: Lower DP translates to lower energy requirements for the fan and other components involved in maintaining airflow through the baghouse. This reduction in energy consumption leads to cost savings and contributes to a more sustainable operation by decreasing the plant’s overall energy footprint.
  3. Extended Equipment Life: Operating at a lower DP reduces stress on the baghouse components, such as filters and fans. This decrease in operational stress can extend the lifespan of these components, leading to fewer replacements and maintenance needs, and ultimately reducing operational costs.
  4. Improved Air Quality: Achieving a lower DP helps ensure that the baghouse maintains optimal performance in capturing and filtering particulate matter from the exhaust gases. This improvement in air quality control helps the plant meet stringent environmental regulations and contributes to cleaner emissions.
  5. Increased System Reliability: A lower DP generally indicates a more stable and reliable baghouse operation. This stability reduces the likelihood of operational issues and unplanned downtime, leading to smoother and more consistent plant operations.

Additionally, fabric filter bags can only provide good functionality as long as they remain undamaged and their pores remain unclogged. It is important to monitor the condition of filter bags and replace them in due time. Clogged filter bags can lead to an undersupply of air, substantial loss of energy efficiency, noisy fan operations, reduced filter performance, and eventual damage to the filter bag itself.

While air quality management and filter technology have made great progress, filter monitoring has largely remained in stasis. For the most part, filters are still changed according to fixed replacement schedules, visual inspections by maintenance technicians, or based on rudimentary differential pressure switches.

In recent years, there has been a significant shift from preventive to condition-based maintenance (CBM) in industrial plants. Baghouse controllers observe the state of different sensors, and maintenance is only performed when certain indicators show signs of decreasing performance or upcoming failure.

B-PAC™ accurate filter monitoring is achieved by monitoring changing pressure across the filter in relation to dust concentration based on the Auburn FilterSense Charge Induction technology. When a filter starts clogging, its resistance to the airflow increases, leading to a rise in the differential pressure across the tube sheet (e.g., 20 mbar). Optimizing filter bag operation helps provide clean air and leads to a lower cost, more energy-efficient, and sustainable operation of the baghouse.

Overall, optimizing hi-lo control to achieve lower mbar levels significantly boosts the efficiency, sustainability, and reliability of the baghouse system. This improvement not only enhances the plant’s operational performance but also reduces its environmental footprint, leading to a more cost-effective and eco-friendly operation.