An air filter system (10, 110) comprising: a tube sheet configured to separate a housing into a dirty air chamber and a clean air chamber; a pulse collector (30, 330, 430, 530) defining a passageway that extends through the pulse collector from a filter end opening (231, 331, 431) at a filter end of the pulse collector element to a tube sheet opening (232, 532) at a tube sheet end of the pulse collector; an aperture in the tube sheet, wherein the tube sheet end of the pulse collector (30, 330, 430, 530) is attached to the tube sheet such that the tube sheet opening (232, 532) of the pulse collector is aligned with the aperture such that air passing from the dirty air chamber into the clean air chamber through the aperture passes through the passageway of the pulse collector; a filter element (40, 140, 240, 340, 440) attached to the pulse collector (30, 330, 430, 530) such that air passing into the passageway of the pulse collector through the filter end opening (231, 331, 431) of the pulse collector passes through an interior volume of the filter element before reaching the filter end opening, wherein the filter element comprises a filter element opening at a junction between the filter end of the pulse collector and the filter element; a pulse generator (50, 430) located in the clean air chamber and positioned to deliver pulses of air into the interior volume of the filter element (40, 140, 240, 340, 440), the pulses of air passing through the aperture and the passageway of the pulse collector (30, 330, 430, 530) before reaching the interior volume of the filter element, wherein the pulse generator is configured to deliver the pulses of air along a pulse axis (251, 351, 551) that extends from the pulse generator through the aperture in the tube sheet, the tube sheet opening (232, 532) in the pulse collector, and the filter end opening (231, 331, 431) in the pulse collector, wherein the pulse generator comprises a pulse outlet located on the pulse axis and through which the pulses of air are delivered along the pulse axis, and wherein the pulse outlet defines a pulse outlet hydraulic diameter (dpo); wherein a pulse distance (pd) measured along the pulse axis from the pulse outlet to the filter element opening is 30 or more times the pulse outlet hydraulic diameter (dpo), characterized by the fact that the filter element (40, 140, 240, 340, 440) is attached to the filter end of the pulse collector, the pulse outlet is defined by opposing walls that do not diverge with respect to the pulse axis, and the pulse collector (30, 330, 430, 530) comprises a passageway length measured along the pulse axis (251, 351, 551) that is equal to or greater than a hydraulic diameter (dfe) of the filter end opening (231, 331, 431) of the pulse collector. a tube sheet configured to separate a housing into a dirty air chamber and a clean air chamber; a pulse collector (30, 330, 430, 530) defining a passageway that extends through the pulse collector from a filter end opening (231, 331, 431) at a filter end of the pulse collector element to a tube sheet opening (232, 532) at a tube sheet end of the pulse collector; an aperture in the tube sheet, wherein the tube sheet end of the pulse collector (30, 330, 430, 530) is attached to the tube sheet such that the tube sheet opening (232, 532) of the pulse collector is aligned with the aperture such that air passing from the dirty air chamber into the clean air chamber through the aperture passes through the passageway of the pulse collector; a filter element (40, 140, 240, 340, 440) attached to the pulse collector (30, 330, 430, 530) such that air passing into the passageway of the pulse collector through the filter end opening (231, 331, 431) of the pulse collector passes through an interior volume of the filter element before reaching the filter end opening, wherein the filter element comprises a filter element opening at a junction between the filter end of the pulse collector and the filter element; a pulse generator (50, 430) located in the clean air chamber and positioned to deliver pulses of air into the interior volume of the filter element (40, 140, 240, 340, 440), the pulses of air passing through the aperture and the passageway of the pulse collector (30, 330, 430, 530) before reaching the interior volume of the filter element, wherein the pulse generator is configured to deliver the pulses of air along a pulse axis (251, 351, 551) that extends from the pulse generator through the aperture in the tube sheet, the tube sheet opening (232, 532) in the pulse collector, and the filter end opening (231, 331, 431) in the pulse collector, wherein the pulse generator comprises a pulse outlet located on the pulse axis and through which the pulses of air are delivered along the pulse axis, and wherein the pulse outlet defines a pulse outlet hydraulic diameter (dpo); wherein a pulse distance (pd) measured along the pulse axis from the pulse outlet to the filter element opening is 30 or more times the pulse outlet hydraulic diameter (dpo), characterized by the fact that the filter element (40, 140, 240, 340, 440) is attached to the filter end of the pulse collector, the pulse outlet is defined by opposing walls that do not diverge with respect to the pulse axis, and the pulse collector (30, 330, 430, 530) comprises a passageway length measured along the pulse axis (251, 351, 551) that is equal to or greater than a hydraulic diameter (dfe) of the filter end opening (231, 331, 431) of the pulse collector.