Assessment of surface and depth filters by filter quality

This paper reviews the concept of filter quality (qF) for dust filtration media composed of different structures: metal fiber beds (MFB), fabric filters (BF), and fly ash filters (FAF). Filter quality is a useful index of the filtration performance, which incorporates both pressure drop and filtration efficiency. Major parameters affecting the filter quality are filtration velocity in the range of 0.06–0.19 m/s, dust loading, porosity of the medium in the range of 75–93%, and internal structure of the medium. The experimental observation showed that filter quality decreased with increasing filtration velocity or dust concentration. A unique increase in filter quality during the initial stage of filtration appeared with the FAF as a result of the predominately surface filtration with less pore clogging. Nevertheless, the filter quality cannot be taken as an absolute indicator of filter performance, but rather it should be used just as a reference parameter depending on operating conditions. The results of this work show that fly ash filters are capable of providing more stable performance, particularly during the initial stage of filtration, and thereafter of a certain time filter quality initiates to decline as other filters.