Self-cleaning pulsed air cleaner

Abstract

An air cleaning method and apparatus in which air to be cleaned is drawn toward and through a filter (44, 45) along a normal path having a first component extending from a first to a second end of the filter, so as to initially collect particulate matter on the filter, in which momentary pulses of clean air are directed through the filter in a direction opposed to the normal path, to interrupt flow of the air in the normal path so as to dislodge collected particles from the filter and enable migration of the particles toward the second end of the filter, and in which the migrated particles are withdrawn, in a portion of the air, from a site (33, 115) near the second end of the filter.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. The method of removing particles of solid matter from air which comprises: (a) supplying a stream of uncleaned air to one end of a filter having adjacent sections defining chambers with a motion having a generally horizontal component parallel to the surface of the filter, so that the particles are initially collected on a surface of said filter and the air passes through the filter;   (b) repeatedly and sequentially supplying a reverse air pulsed to each of the chambers in a sequence from the uppermost section to the lowermost section dislodging the particles briefly from the surface of each filter section to enable them to migrate therealong toward the adjacent section and downstream toward a scavenge outlet located toward the remaining end of the filter; and   (c) withdrawing at said scavenge outlet said air carrying the migrated particles.   
     
     
       2. A cleaner for removing particulate matter from air comprising, in combination: (a) a housing having first and second spaced opposite ends;   (b) at least one filter assembly in said housing extending between said ends, said filter assembly comprising filter means permeable to air but not permeable to particulate matter, and including filter means having an opening interior space defined therein, said space extending toward said second end of said housing; and vertically spaced generally horizontal partitions dividing said space into plurality of vertically spaced chambers;   (c) means mounting said filter means in said housing so as to divide said housing into a first portion on one side of said filter assembly and a second portion on an opposite side of said filter assembly;   (d) means providing a path for a stream of air through said filter assembly, including: (i) inlet means in said housing near said first end thereof for admitting raw air to said first portion of said housing, and   (ii) outlet means near said second end of said housing for enabling egress of clean air from said second portion of said housing, so that particulate airborne matter is initially collected on said filter means;     (e) scavenging means in said housing generally opposite said inlet means for removing from said first portion of said housing particulate matter separated from the raw air by said filter means; and   (f) a plurality of cleaning means associated with each filter assembly for intermittently directing pulses of clean air towards said filter assembly from said second portion of said housing to momentarily dislodge said particulate matter collected thereon, said cleaning means being actuatable so that said pulses are directed sequentially into said filter chambers generally in the direction of air flow from said inlet means to said outlet means whereby said dislodged matter may migrate generally in the direction of said air flow toward said scavenging means. .Iadd.   
     
     
       3.  The method of removing particles of solid matter from air which comprises: (a) supplying a stream of uncleaned air to one end of a filter assembly having flat filter elements defining chambers, with a motion having a generally horizontal component parallel to the surface of the filter elements so that particles are initially collected on said surfaces and the air passes through the filter elements;   (b) supplying reverse air pulses to said chambers in a repeating cycle to dislodge the particles briefly from the surface of each adjacent filter element to enable them to migrate therealong with the air stream in a downstream direction toward a scavenge outlet located at the remaining end of the filter assembly; and   (c) continuously withdrawing at said scavenge outlet said air carrying the migrated particles. .Iaddend. .Iadd.4. A cleaner for removing particlate matter from air comprising, in combination:   (a) a housing having first and second spaced opposite ends;   (b) at least one filter assembly in said housing extending between said ends, said filter assembly comprising vertically oriented, flat filter members permeable to air but not permeable to particulate material, said filter members having a tapering space defined between adjoining surfaces of said filter members opening toward said second end of said housing; and vertically spaced generally horizontal partitions dividing said space into a plurality of vertically spaced chambers;   (c) means mounting said filter assembly in said housing so as to divide said housing into a first portion on one side of said filter assembly and a second portion on an opposite side of said filter assembly;   (d) means providing a path for a stream of air through said filter assembly with a motion having a component parallel to the surfaces of said filter members, including: (i) inlet means in said housing at said first end thereof for admitting raw air to said first portion of said housing, and   (ii) outlet means at said second end of said housing for enabling egress of clean air from said second portion of said housing, so that particulate airborne matter is initially collected on said filter means;     (e) a plurality of cleaning means associated with each filter assembly for intermittently directing pulses of clean air towards said filter assembly from said second portion of said housing sequentially into said chambers to momentarily dislodge said particulate matter collected on said filter elements so that said dislodged matter may migrate generally in the direction of said air flow toward an end of said filter assembly opposite said inlet means; and   (f) scavenging means in said housing at said end of said filter assembly for removing particulate matter separated from the raw air. .Iaddend.