GRIFFIN'S NEW STAR: NOVA HIGH TEMP BAGHOUSE

Pulse Jet Collector for Hot Gases to 1000° F. 

An internationally known organization was looking for a better way to filter hot gases from an incinerator that destroyed obsolete munitions. Their existing dust control system required the gas stream to be cooled to below 500? F so it could run through a conventional baghouse with fabric filters. This cooling process plugged the aftercooler on a regular basis and created a maintenance nightmare. The customer wanted to eliminate the aftercooler – with its high maintenance costs and downtime – and also reduce metal emissions.  It was critical that the new system filter hot gases up to 1000? F and do so continuously year-round with minimal maintenance shutdowns.

Griffin engineers, with over 40 years of experience solving tough dust control problems, were up for the challenge. The Nova series was developed to address these difficult conditions. One of the primary concerns was to design a unit that would expand and contract with the temperature changes without causing leakage or fatigue.

Griffin design engineers also identified a ceramic media that could tolerate a 1650? F airstream, was durable enough to operate non-stop, and was able to be pulse-cleaned. These ceramic elements, made from inert material, are molded into 6-inch diameter cylinders 10 feet long.

Among the Nova's many unique features:

• • A cylindrical housing provides uniform heat expansion
  • Housing walls are 316 stainless steel for thermal stress and corrosion resistance
  • A bolt-in tubesheet compensates for radial expansion
  • Stainless steel blowtubes are included for corrosion resistance
  • Heat shields and cooling fins protect the jet pulse mechanism, which has a normal temperature limit of 450° F.
  • Slide plates on the support structure compensate for heat expansion
  • A special stainless steel double-dump valve with air-cooled bearings is included for material discharge.

The Nova series has been a huge success. The customer’s aftercooler was successfully eliminated and metals emissions were minimized. The new system is operating at greater efficiency and better production rates than the conventional dust collector it replaced. The customer was so pleased with the Nova’s quality and trouble-free operations that they purchased eight more of the collectors for similar applications internationally, with plans to purchase six more the following year.