Application of Cllex® Pleated Cartridges in Converter Secondary Dust Collection (Ambient Temp.)
Project Overview
A steel plant in Shouguang, Shandong operated a baghouse for its converter secondary dust collection. To meet increasingly stringent ultra-low emission requirements and improve fume capture, the plant needed to expand dust-collection capacity within limited space, minimal investment and shortest downtime.
Challenge
Early dust collectors in the steel industry cannot meet the latest ultra-low emission limits for air pollutants, so existing old collectors must expand capacity by increasing filtration area. Some plants, constrained by small sites, inability to shut down for long, and limited budgets, find it hard to expand or rebuild the collectors.
A steel plant in Shouguang, Shandong had built a baghouse for converter secondary dust collection. To achieve better fume capture and stricter dust-emission limits, its capacity had to be increased. How to reach ultra-low emissions within limited space—without expanding the footprint, minimizing investment and shortening downtime—was a challenge for the plant's environmental retrofit.
Solution
Recognizing the superior performance of PNC's Cllex® pleated cartridges, and considering that no major modification of the original collector was needed with minimal investment and shortest downtime, the plant ultimately chose Cllex® pleated cartridges to expand the existing system.
Dust Collector Parameters: Before vs. After Retrofit
| Item | Original Filter Bags | Retrofitted Pleated Cartridge (Polyester + PTFE Membrane) |
|---|---|---|
| Process & Application | Converter Secondary Dust Collection | |
| Dust Type | Converter Dust | |
| Std. Air Volume | 620,000 Nm³/h | |
| Actual Air Volume | 733,560 Am³/h | |
| Filter Bag Spec. | Φ160 × 6200 | Φ167 × 2400 |
| No. of Filter Bags | 4480 pcs | 4480 pcs |
| Filtration Velocity (m/min) | 0.87 | 0.52 |
| Filtration Area (m²) | 3.12 | 5.28 |
| Total Filtration Area (m²) | 13977.6 | 23654.4 |
| Pulse Pressure (kgf/cm²) | 7 | 4 |
| Pulse Interval (s) | 7 | 25 |
Outcome
After stable restart, third-party testing showed a dust emission concentration of about 3 mg/Nm³, far below local limits. Comparing 3-month operating data before and after retrofit, with a 22% increase in air volume, the annual operating cost dropped by 57%.
| Item |
Original Filter Bags
(Apr–Jun 2020 avg.) |
Retrofitted Pleated Cartridge
(Jul–Oct 2020 avg.) |
Comparison |
|---|---|---|---|
| Air Volume (m³/h) | 510,000 | 620,000 | +22% |
| System Pressure Drop (Pa) | 1760 | 800 | -54% |
| Power Consumption (kWh) | 350 | 193 | -45% |
| Nitrogen Consumption (m³/h) | 326 | 26 | -92% |
| Operating Cost (Elec. + N₂) (10k CNY/yr) | 302.24 | 129.76 | -57% |
Since commissioning after retrofit, the Cllex® pleated cartridges have operated safely for over 5 years, with excellent dust emission concentration and energy consumption throughout.
Conclusion
Cllex® Pleated Cartridge Features:
- For different operating temperatures, ambient-, medium- and high-temperature cartridges are available, with a maximum long-term operating temperature up to 240°C; for different conditions, options include ePTFE membrane, ultrafine-fiber surface layer, and water/oil-repellent & anti-static treatment, etc.
- Simpler cartridge installation—no need to worry about seals falling below the tube sheet;
- Cartridge production uses imported Korean equipment, and core raw materials are imported from Korea, ensuring uniform pleat spacing and stable bonding between media, end caps and inner support;
- Higher dust filtration efficiency, longer service life and lower operating energy consumption.
