Method for detecting an overload of a fabric filter

Claim 1

In a method of filtering particulate matter from a particulate matter-laden gas stream wherein the particulate matter-laden gas stream is passed through a fabric filter collection apparatus comprised of a plurality of independent, isolatable filter chamber each housing fabric filter means upon which a portion of the particulate matter deposits, the particulate matter-laden gas stream being subdivided upstream of the collection apparatus into a like plurality of substreams each of which is passed through one of said plurality of independent, isolatable filter chambers prior to recombining said substreams downstream of said collection apparatus to form a relatively particulate matter-free gas stream, an improved method of sequentially cleaning said plurality of filter chambers of deposited particulate matter comprising: a. continuously sensing the gas pressure differential across the dust collector between a point upstream of the subdivision of the particulate matter-laden gas stream into a plurality of substreams and a point downstream of the recombination of said substreams into the relatively particulate matter-free gas stream; b. isolating one of said plurality of filter chambers from gas flow and diverting the substream flowing thereto amongst the remaining filter chambers of said plurality of filter chambers; c. thence cleaning the particulate matter depositing upon the fabric filter means disposed within said isolated filter chamber; d. thence returning said cleaned filter chamber to service by reestablishing gas flow therethrough; e. comparing the gas pressure differential across the dust collector sensed at the initiation of step (b) to the gas pressure differential across the dust collector sensed at the completion of step (d); and f. whenever the gas-pressure differential across the dust collector sensed at the completion of step (d) exceeds that sensed at the initiation of step (b), actuating an alarm indicating a malfunction of the cleaning process.