Analysis of Pressure Drops in Pleated Activated Carbon Cloth Filters

Activated carbon cloths show interesting properties for the treatment of air that is loaded with volatile organic compounds. The industrial implementation of these new adsorbent materials requires the design of new reactors. Cylindrical pleated filters made from activated carbon cloths and polypropylene layers are studied using a laboratory pilot unit. Experimental pressure drops are measured as a function of the number of pleats. The effect of the overlapping of the pleats, due to the significant thickness of the medium, is shown to be very important. The use of two different parameters (the equivalent section and the equivalent thickness), corresponding to different approaches, is proposed to explain the evolution of pressure drops in such filters. Finally, a threshold criterion for determining a relevant number of pleats is proposed.