Patent ID: 6890365

Claim:
An apparatus for removing particulate from a particulate-laden gas stream comprising: a) a housing having an inlet and an outlet; b) a plurality of channels disposed within the housing between the inlet and the outlet; c) at least one filter disposed within each channel, i) each filter having an inlet side and an outlet side; d) exhaust means for drawing the particulate-laden gas stream from the inlet through at least one channel to the outlet and through the at least one filter from the inlet side to the outlet side; e) at least one valve for selectively cleaning the at least one filter in a channel to be cleaned with means for i) shutting down the flow of the particulate-laden gas stream from a full flow rate in an at least one channel to be cleaned and drawing a flow of a cleaning gas stream through the at least one channel to be cleaned and the at least one filter in that channel from the outlet side to the inlet side and through the at least one channel not being cleaned to the outlet; ii) thereafter shutting down the flow of the cleaning gas stream in the at least one channel to be cleaned and returning the flow of the particulate-laden gas stream to the at least one channel to be cleaned from the inlet to the outlet; and, f) means associated with the at least one valve for controlling the rates of i) shutting down the flow of the particulate-laden gas stream, ii) drawing a flow of the cleaning gas stream at a first flow rate, iii) shutting down the flow of the cleaning gas stream, iv) returning the flow of the particulate-laden gas stream at a second flow rate, wherein the second flow rate is less than the full rate and less than the first flow rate, and v) increasing the second flow rate until it is substantially equal to the full flow rate.