Atmosphere or air is a mixture of transparent, colourless gas held to the earth by

gravity as a shallow envelope, which sustains life on earth, saves it from hostile
environment of outer space and plays a key role in maintaining heat balance of earth.
3 roles:
1. Provide us life supporting gas O2
2. Save us from harmful UV rays & meteors
3. Maintain heat balance
Lapse rate = rate of change of atmospheric temperature (t) to the height of atmosphere (h)
= dt/dh
 How Atmosphere maintain heat balance ?
➢ Sun is the only source of heat on earth and radiation heat balance can be determined
following two laws:
➢ Stefan Boltzmann law: The total rate at which radiation energy is emitted by a black
body is given by 𝐸 = 𝜎𝐴𝑇 4
Here, Surface area=A, Temperature of black body = T,
Stefan Boltzmann constant =  = 5.67 X 10 -8 W/m2K4

➢ Wien’s displacement law: the dominant wavelength at which a blackbody emits

electromagnetic radiation is inversely proportional to the Kelvin temperature of the
object. 2898
𝑚𝑎𝑥 =
𝑇

➢ Solar flux (S) is the solar radiation per area arrives just outside the object with an average
annual intensity.

For Earth, S = 1372 W/m2

 Simple zero dimensional model to calculate global temperature
1. Earth is a perfect black body
2. Only radiation heat transfer is considered.
3. Temperature of earth is not a function of location or temperature.
4. Solar flux (S) is passing through a disk like object having radius equal to that of earth
and placed normal to incoming radiation.
At steady state condition ;

Solar energy absorbed by earth = Earth’s energy radiated to space.

𝑆𝜋𝑅 2 = 𝜎. 4𝜋𝑅 2 . 𝑇 4
1 1Τ
𝑆 Τ4 1372 4
∴ T= =
4𝜎 4 𝑋 5.67 𝑥 10−8

T= 279 K = 6 0 C
 Modified model considering albedo
Albedo = The fraction of incoming solar radiation that is reflected by object.

Earth’s albedo = 30 %
This 30% is due to
• clouds
• dust, smoke
• scattering by air molecules
• reflections from land, oceans,
ice etc.
Thus, at equilibrium condition ;
Incoming radiation = Outgoing radiation
Outgoing radiation = 𝜎. 4𝜋𝑅 2. 𝑇 4
Incoming radiation = 𝑆 (1-) 𝜋 𝑅2 4
2 2
∴ 𝑆 1 − 𝛼 𝜋𝑅 = 𝜎. 4𝜋𝑅 . 𝑇
1ൗ
1372(1 − 0.3) 4
𝑇𝑒𝑞 = 𝑻𝒆𝒒 = 𝟐𝟓𝟓𝑲 = −𝟏𝟖𝟎 𝑪
4 𝑋 5.67 𝑋 10−8

But Tobserved = 291K = 180C Difference in temperature = 360 C

 Greenhouse effect

❖ Green house effect = Observed surface temperature – calculated surface temperature

𝑇𝑒 − 𝑇𝑒 = 291𝐾 − 255𝐾
= 36K
❖ The greenhouse effect is a natural process that warms the Earth’s surface.
❖ When the Sun’s energy reaches the Earth’s atmosphere, some of it is reflected back to
space and the rest is absorbed and re-radiated by greenhouse gases.
❖ The absorbed energy warms the atmosphere and the surface of the Earth.
❖ Greenhouse gases include water vapour, carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, ozone
and chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs).
❖ This process maintains the Earth’s temperature at around 36 0 Celsius warmer than it would
otherwise be, allowing life on Earth to exist.
❖ The problem we now face is that human activities – particularly burning fossil fuels (coal,
oil and natural gas), agriculture and land clearing – are increasing the concentrations of
greenhouse gases. This is the enhanced greenhouse effect, which is contributing to
warming of the Earth. Green house effect is now Global warming effect.
❖ Green house gases cannot absorb radiation between 8 -12 m, this region is called
atmospheric radiative window.

1. Explain Green House effect in terms of Wien’s Displacement Law.

2. Green House effect is good to us whereas global warming effect is bad for us- explain.
 Step 1: Solar radiation reaches
the Earth's atmosphere - some
of this is reflected back into
space.

Step 2: The rest of the sun's

energy is absorbed by the land
and the oceans, heating the
Earth.

Step 3: Heat radiates from

Earth towards space.

Step 4: Some of this heat is trapped by greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, keeping the
Earth warm enough to sustain life.

Step 5: Human activities such as burning fossil fuels, agriculture and land clearing are
increasing the amount of greenhouse gases released into the atmosphere.

Step 6: This is trapping extra heat, and causing the Earth's temperature to rise.
 Impact of Global Warming

➢ Earth’s rising temperatures are fueling longer and hotter heat waves, more frequent
droughts, heavier rainfall, and more powerful hurricanes.
➢ As the heat waves, droughts, and floods associated with climate change become more
frequent and more intense, communities suffer and death tolls rise. If we’re unable to
reduce our emissions, scientists believe that climate change could lead to the deaths of
more than 250,000 people around the globe every year and force 100 million people into
poverty by 2030.
➢ Disappearing glaciers, early snowmelt, and severe droughts will cause more dramatic water
shortages and continue to increase the risk of wildfires in the American West.
➢ Rising sea levels will lead to more coastal flooding, which cause destruction of ecosystem
and destroying cities.
➢ Forests, farms, and cities will face troublesome new pests, heat waves, heavy downpours,
and increased flooding. All of these can damage or destroy agriculture and fisheries.
➢ Disruption of habitats such as coral reefs and alpine meadows could drive many plant and
animal species to extinction.
➢ Allergies, asthma, and infectious disease outbreaks will become more common due to
increased growth of pollen-producing ragweed, higher levels of air pollution, and the
spread of conditions favorable to pathogens and mosquitoes.
Ozone Layer Depletion
 Basic Ozone Layer Science
Most atmospheric ozone is concentrated in a layer in
the stratosphere, about 15 to 30 km above the Earth's
surface. At any given time, ozone molecules are
constantly formed and destroyed in the stratosphere.
The total amount has remained relatively stable during
the decades that it has been measured. The stratosphere
is in a constant cycle with oxygen molecules and their
interaction with ultraviolet rays.
The ozone layer is created when ultraviolet rays react with oxygen molecules (O 2) to create
ozone (O3) and atomic oxygen (O). This process is called the Chapman cycle.
Ozone layer concentration is the ratio of rate of formation to rate of destruction of ozone in
atmosphere.
The ozone layer in the stratosphere absorbs the portion of UV light from the sun, mostly
UVB, preventing it from reaching the planet's surface. UVB has been linked to many harmful
effects including skin cancers, cataracts, and harm to some crops and marine life.
Scientists have established records spanning several decades that detail normal ozone levels
during natural cycles. Ozone concentrations in the atmosphere vary naturally with sunspots,
seasons, and latitude. Each natural reduction in ozone levels has been followed by a recovery.
Beginning in the 1970s, however, scientific evidence showed that the ozone shield was being
depleted well beyond natural processes.
 Ozone Layer Depletion
In 1970 Dr. P. Crutzen proposed the following catalytic reaction that results in destruction of O3.
X + O3 => XO + O2
O3 + XO => X + 2O2
Net Reaction: 2 O3 + UV => 3 O2
In this sequence of reactions, X is an atom or molecule that acts as a catalyst.
The important radicals represented by X include chlorine (Cl), hydroxyl (OH), nitric oxide
(NO), and bromine (Br). These compounds contribute to ozone depletion, and are called
ozone-depleting substances. (ODS)
ODS include chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFCs), halons, methyl
bromide, hydrobromofluorocarbons, chlorobromomethane, and methyl chloroform.
In 1930s useful chemical compounds known as chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) were produced
for use in refrigeration, air conditioning, solvents, aerosol spray cans etc.
They are very stable in the troposphere with lifetimes of approximately 100 years. This long
lifetime allows CFCs that are emitted near the surface to be carried by the winds upward. In
the stratosphere CFCs are dissociated by UV light producing chlorine atoms. The destruction
of O3 then follows with the following chemical reactions:
CFC are group of molecules made up of chlorine, fluorine and carbon atoms and are
extremely stable. This extreme stability allows CFC's to slowly make their way into the
stratosphere (most molecules decompose before they can cross into the stratosphere from the
troposphere). When the CFC's come into contact with high energy photons in stratosphere,
their individual components are freed from the whole.
The following reaction displays how Cl atoms have an ozone destroying cycle:

However, in normal atmospheric condition,

ClO react with NO2 present in atmosphere to
form an inert molecule, thereby acts as a
chlorine reservoir.
ClO + NO2 ClNO3
(Chloro nitrate)
In this way, Cl is stored in an inactive form unable to destroy ozone.
Chlorine is able to destroy lots of the ozone because it acts as a catalyst. After each reaction,
chlorine begins the destructive cycle again with another ozone molecule. One chlorine atom
can thereby destroy thousands of ozone molecules.
Nomenclature of CFC
Dupont Method: 90 + CFC number
 Antarctic Ozone hole
From 1985 to 1988, researchers studying atmospheric properties over the south pole
continually noticed significantly reduced concentrations of ozone directly over the continent of
Antarctica. In 1988, researchers concluded that an enormous hole in the ozone layer had
indeed developed over Antarctica.
The ozone hole over Antarctica is formed by a slew of unique atmospheric conditions over the
continent that combine to create an ideal environment for ozone destruction.
Because Antarctica is surrounded by water, winds over the continent blow in a unique
clockwise direction creating a so called "polar vortex" that effectively contains a single static
air mass over the continent. As a result, air over Antarctica does not mix with air in the rest of
the earth's atmosphere.
Antarctica has the coldest winter temperatures on earth, often reaching -110 F. These chilling
temperatures result in the formation of polar stratospheric clouds (PSC's) which are a
conglomeration of frozen H2O and HNO3.
As spring comes to Antarctica, the PSC's melt in
the stratosphere and release all of the halogenated
compounds that were previously absorbed to the
cloud. High energy photons are able to photolyze
the halogenated compounds, freeing halogen
radicals that then catalytically destroy O3.
Because Antarctica is constantly surrounded by a
polar vortex, radical halogens are not able to be
diluted over the entire globe. The ozone hole
develops as result of this process.
The photochemical processes involved are described here. Most of the chlorine in the
stratosphere resides in "reservoir" compounds, primarily chlorine nitrate (ClONO2). During
the Antarctic winter and spring, however, reactions on the surface of the polar stratospheric
cloud particles convert these "reservoir" compounds into HOCl. In Antarctic spring time, in
presence of sunlight, these HOCl breaks into reactive free radicals (Cl and HO). Ozone
depletion occurs with the following reaction:
ClNO3 + H2O = HOCl + HNO3
HOCl Cl + OH
Cl + O3 = ClO + O2
OH + O3 = HO2 + O2
ClO + HO2 = HOCl + O2
--------------------------------
2O3 = 3O2
Montreal Protocol
The Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer is an international
agreement made in 1987. It was designed to stop the production and import of CFC’s and
reduce their concentration in the atmosphere to help protect the earth's ozone layer.
Kyoto Protocol
The Kyoto Protocol is an international agreement that aimed to reduce carbon
dioxide emissions and the presence of greenhouse gases (GHG) in the atmosphere. The
essential tenet of the Kyoto Protocol was that industrialized nations needed to lessen the
amount of their CO2 emissions.
1. Global warming effect is a global problem but Ozone depletion is local problem- explain.
 METEOROLOGY
 The objective of this chapter is to determine the ability of atmosphere to dilute the
pollutants disposed of from various sources.
 The dispersion of air pollutants discharged from various sources in a particular area
depends on meteorological conditions.
 Meteorology is defined as study of different parameters in atmospheric conditions
confined to an area of few square kilometers and up to an elevation of 500 -1000 meter
in the atmosphere.
 The dispersion of air pollutants depends on meteorological conditions like; how strong
is the wind, in which direction it is blowing, temperature profile of area, availability of
sunlight, humidity etc.
 The primary parameters of meteorology:
❖ Wind velocity & direction of blowing
❖ Air temperature profile
❖ Atmospheric stability
❖ Mixing height

Wind velocity & direction of blowing: The higher the wind velocity, the rapidly the
pollutants are carried away from the source. The direction of wind should opposite the
locality.
Air temperature profile: The ease with which pollutants can disperse vertically into the
atmosphere is largely determined by lapse rate. Two types of lapse rate- Adiabatic lapse rate
(ALR), & Ambient or Environment lapse rate (ELR).
Lapse rate= rate of change of atmospheric temperature (t) to the height of atmosphere (h)
= - dt/dh
Adiabatic lapse rate: Theoretically determined value considering the movement of air
follows adiabatic process. It is constant and its value 10C/100 m.
𝑑𝑇
Γ= = −100𝐶/𝑘𝑚 (prove that)
𝑑𝑧

Environment lapse rate: Observed value at a particular time and particular height. It
varies with locality and time.

Atmospheric stability: It is important because it determines the ability of air to dilute

pollutants. Whether the air is stable or not that is determined by comparing the ALR & ELR
slope.
1. If ELR<ALR , subadiabatic condition, air is stable.
2. If ELR>ALR , superadiabatic condition, air is unstable.
3. If ELR =ALR , neutral condition, air is neutrally stable.

4. If lapse rate is positive, air is extremely stable.

 Mixing height: The amount of air available to dilute pollutants depends on the wind speed
as well as the extent to which the emission can rise into the atmosphere. The altitude up to
which the emission can rise is called the maximum mixing depth or maximum mixing
height.
The maximum mixing height can be obtained simply by plotting ELR &ALR of an area for
a particular day on the graph. The vertical distance from the point of interaction to the base
is called maximum mixing height.

The product of maximum mixing height and average wind speed within the mixing depth is
called atmospheric dispersive capability. It is used as an indicator of air quality.
Atmospheric dispersive capability = maximum mixing height (m) X average wind speed(m/s)
= ventilation coefficient (m2/s)
 Smoke Stack Plume
1. Fanning- in stable air
2. Looping – in unstable air
3. Coning – in neutral air
4. Lofting – above temperature inversion
5. Fumigation – below temperature inversion.
 THE POINT SOURCE GAUSSIAN PLUME MODEL

There are three primary types of air pollution emission plumes:

▪ Buoyant plumes — Plumes which are lighter than the surrounding ambient air because
of higher temperature and lower density, or because they are at about the same
temperature as the ambient air but have a lower molecular weight and hence lower
density than the ambient air. For example, an emission plume of methane gas at ambient
air temperatures is buoyant because methane has a lower molecular weight than the
ambient air.

▪ Dense gas plumes — Plumes which are heavier than surrounding ambient air because of higher
density. A plume may have a higher density than air because it has a higher molecular weight than
air (for example, a plume of carbon dioxide). A plume may also have a higher density than air if the
plume is at a much lower temperature than the air. For example, a plume of evaporated gaseous
methane from an accidental release of liquefied natural gas (LNG) may be as cold as -161 °C.

▪ Passive or neutral plumes — Plumes which are neither lighter nor heavier than air.
 Gaussian model

The Gaussian plume model is a (relatively) simple mathematical model that attempts to relate
emissions to air quality and is typically applied to point source emitters, such as smokestack
or coal-burning electricity-producing plants. This model may be applied to non-point source
emitters, such as line sources(emissions from automobile along a highway) or area sources.

To begin, consider just a single point source

plume. The coordinate system has been set up to show
a cross section of the plume, with z representing the
vertical direction and x the distance directly
downward from the source. Since stack emissions
have some initial upward velocity and buoyancy it
might go some distance to look symmetrical about a
centerline. The centerline would be somewhat above
the actual stack height and is termed as effective stack
height (H).
 Once the plume has reached its effective stack height, dispersion will begin in three
dimensions. Dispersion in the downwind direction is a function of the mean wind speed
blowing across the plume. Dispersion in the cross-wind direction and in the vertical
direction will be governed by the Gaussian plume equations of lateral dispersion. Lateral
dispersion depends on the atmospheric condition, which is a measure of the relative stability
of the surrounding air. The model assumes that dispersion in these two dimensions will take
the form of a normal Gaussian curve, with the maximum concentration in the center of the
plume.
The Gaussian model assumes that the air pollutant dispersion has a Gaussian distribution,
meaning that the pollutant distribution has a normal probability distribution. The primary
algorithm used in Gaussian modeling is the Generalized Dispersion Equation For A
Continuous Point-Source Plume. For this the following assumptions are incorporated:

• The rate of emissions from the source is constant.

• The wind speed is constant both in time and with elevation.
• The pollutant is conservative, i.e., it is not lost by decay, chemical reaction or deposition.
• The terrain is relatively flat, open country.

In three dimensional coordinate system

consider the stack at the origin, distance
directly downwind given by x, distance off the
downwind axis specified by y and elevation
given by z. Since our concern is only with the
receptors (people and ecosystem) at ground
level, then z=0 and the Gaussian plume
equation is,
 Q − H 2  − y2 
C ( x, y ) = exp  2 
exp  2 
u H  y z  2 z   2 y 
where: C(x,y) = concentration of the emission (in micrograms per cubic meter) at ground
level at any point x meters downwind of the source, y meters laterally from the centerline of
the plume.
Q = emission rate of pollutants. H = effective stack height.
u = the average wind speed evaluated at “effective” stack height.
x and y are the standard deviations of a statistically normal plume in the lateral and vertical
dimensions, respectively. (horizontal dispersion coefficient & vertical dispersion coefficient)
Here 1st exponential term denotes the distribution of mass in vertical dimension (z) at a
given downwind distance, x and 2nd exponential term denotes the distribution of mass in
cross-wind dimension (y) at a given downwind distance, x.
 Air Pollutants
Definition
Physical, chemical or biological substances whose presences in atmosphere have detrimental
effect on living & non-living components on earth. These may be solid particles, liquid
droplets or gaseous objects.
Classification
1. Primary air pollutants: These are produced in the source, directly remove from source &
make an adverse effect on living & non-living beings.
CO
NOx
SOx
HC (hydrocarbon)
PM (particulate matter)
2. Secondary air pollutants: When primary air pollutants undergo some chemical reactions
in atmosphere in presence of sunlight, they form another types of hazardous chemicals.
Acid rain
Photochemical smog.

3. Criteria pollutants: There are six air pollutants which have the main contribution in
creating health hazards and air pollution.
CO SO2 NO2 Pb PM O3
 Carbon monoxide
Source:- Natural- volcanic action, forest fire, natural gas emission, marsh gas.
Anthropogenic – automobile, iron-steel-petroleum industry

Effect:- CO interferes with the blood’s ability to carry O 2 to brain, heart & other tissue.

Control:-
1. Modification of IC engine to reduce the amount of pollutants formed during fuel
combustion.
2. Development of exhaust system reactors which will complete the combustion process.
Example: catalytic convertor.
3. Development of substitute fuel- LPG, CNG, methanol.
4. Development of alternative power source- steam, electric, solar etc.
 Catalytic converter
A catalytic converter is a device used to reduce the emissions from an internal combustion
engine (used in most modern day automobiles and vehicles). Not enough oxygen is available to
oxidize the carbon fuel in these engines to convert completely into carbon dioxide and water;
thus toxic by-products are produced. Catalytic converters are used in exhaust systems to
provide a site for the oxidation and reduction of toxic by-products (like nitrogen oxides, carbon
monoxide, and hydrocarbons) of fuel into less hazardous substances such as carbon dioxide,
water vapor, and nitrogen gas.
Functions
A three-way catalytic converter has three
simultaneous functions:

1. Reduction of nitrogen oxides into elemental nitrogen and oxygen: NOx→Nx+Ox

2. Oxidation of carbon monoxide to carbon dioxide: CO+O2→CO2
3. Oxidation of hydrocarbons into carbon dioxide and water: CxH4x+2xO2→xCO2+2xH2O
 Nitrogen Oxide gas (NOx)
Nitrogen oxides: These compounds are of the same family as nitrogen dioxide, nitric acid,
nitrous oxide, nitrates, and nitric oxide. When NOx is released into the air, it reacts,
stimulated by sunlight, with organic compounds in the air; the result is smog. Smog is a
pollutant and has adverse effects on children's lungs. NOx reacting with sulfur dioxide
produces acid rain, which is highly destructive to everything it lands on. Acid rain corrodes
cars, plants, buildings, national monuments and pollutes lakes and streams to an acidity
unsuitable for fish. NOx can also bind with ozone to create biological mutations and reduce
the transmission of light. On prolonged exposure cause pulmonary fibrosis, inflammation of
lung, respiratory irritation, headache etc.
Source : Natural: bacterial action, volcanic explosion, forest fire.
Man-made: combustion of coal, oil etc, gasoline power plant, nitric acid plant.

Control : Two stage combustion process

1. Fuel is fired at high temperature in presence of low O2
2. Fuel burnout is completed at a relatively low temperature in excess air.
 Sulphur oxide gas
Group of sulfur oxides (SOx) contain SO2 and SO3. The Clean Air Act regulates sulfur dioxide
as a criteria pollutant.

Source: These gases, especially SO2, are emitted by the burning of fossil fuels — coal, oil,
and diesel etc. Sources include power plants, metals processing and smelting facilities, and
vehicles. Sulfur dioxide is also a natural byproduct of volcanic activity.

Impact :
Short-term exposures to SO2 can harm the human respiratory system and make breathing
difficult. People with asthma, particularly children, are sensitive to these effects of SO 2.
Longer exposures can aggravate existing heart and lung conditions.
Beyond human health impacts, sulfur dioxide’s contribution to acid rain can cause direct harm
to trees and plants by damaging exposed tissues and, subsequently, decreasing plant growth.
Sulfur oxides can react with other compounds in the atmosphere to form fine particles
(particulate matter) that reduce visibility
Deposition of particles can also stain and damage stone and other materials, including
culturally important objects such as statues and monuments.

Control: Removal of SOx from fuel burning using chemical scrubber.

Removal of SOx from fuel before burning using some mechanical process like grinding,
crushing etc.
Use of low sulphur fuel.
 HYDROCARBONS
The aliphatic hydrocarbons, aromatic hydrocarbons such as benzene and toluene, and
polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons including benzo[a]anthracene and benzo[a]pyrene, are
persistent organic pollutants (POPs) for ecosystem. These hazardous pollutants are risky
because of mutagenic, carcinogenic, immunotoxic, and teratogenic effects. These components
threaten all life forms ranging from microorganisms to humans when they are released into the
environment especially via human activities.
Inhaling hydrocarbons from gasoline, household cleaners, propellants, kerosene and other fuels
can be fatal to children. Further complications include central nervous system impairments and
cardiovascular problems.
Source: pyrolysis of fat and incomplete combustion besides power plants are the most
prominent hydrocarbon sources
Hydrocarbons are usually generated by various sources including wildfires, oil seepages,
volcanic activities, and other sources.
Moreover, these natural hydrocarbons are mainly produced during organic material chemical
conversions in microorganisms, fungi, plants, sediments, etc
Control:
1. catalytic convertor.
3. Development of substitute fuel- LPG, CNG, methanol.
4. Development of alternative power source- steam, electric, solar etc.
 Particulate matter
Particulate matter is the sum of all solid and liquid particles suspended in air. This complex
mixture includes both organic and inorganic particles, such as dust, pollen, soot, smoke, and
liquid droplets. These particles vary greatly in size, composition, and origin.
The coarse particles can include dust from roads, agricultural processes, uncovered soil or
mining operations, as well as non-combustible materials released when burning fossil fuels.
Evaporation of sea spray can produce large particles near coasts.
Fine particles are largely formed from gases. These particles can grow up to a size of 1 µm
either through condensation, when additional gas condensates on the particles, or through
coagulation, when two or more particles combine to form a larger particle.
Particles having diameter from 0.5 to10 micro-meter may reach the lungs and deposited there
by sedimentation depending on their size. These particles are called Suspended Particulate
Matter (SPM).
Particles smaller than 0.5 can blow with air stream and cannot deposit.
Particles greater than 10 can be trapped by hair and lining of nose.
Standard & control measure
1. Bag house/ Fabric filter
2. Cyclone separator
3. Ventury scrubber
4. Electrostatic precipitator
 Standard & control measure

1. Bag house/ Fabric filter

2. Cyclone separator
3. Ventury scrubber
4. Electrostatic precipitator
5. Catalytic Converter
 Bag house/ Fabric filter

Baghouses are both highly efficient and

cost-effective. Baghouse systems are
engineered to collect, capture, and
separate dust and particulates from air.
Baghouses utilize fabric filter bags or
pleated filters arranged in rows and
mounted vertically in a sheet metal
housing. They are designed to receive
dusty gas from inlet sources, capture
the particulates, and then exhaust clean
air. Typically via an induced draft
blower, the dusty gas stream is drawn
into the baghouse through a duct
system. The gas stream then passes
through the filters, while particles
remain on the filter media surface, thus
separating the particulates from the air.
How the dust is collected and how the baghouse is cleaned depends on the type of baghouse.
The three most common baghouse cleaning systems are pulse-jet, shaker, and reverse-air
styles.
 Cyclone separator

A cyclone separator, is a widely used air pollution control

device that cleanses flue gases of particulate matter before
such gases exit into the atmosphere. It's a method of
collecting up to 99% of airborne waste in an easy-to-empty
container beneath the cyclone.
A high speed rotating flow is established within a
cylindrical or conical container called a cyclone. Air flows
in a helical pattern, beginning at the top (wide end) of the
cyclone and ending at the bottom (narrow) end before
exiting the cyclone in a straight stream through the center of
the cyclone and out the top. Larger (denser) particles in the
rotating stream have too much inertia to follow the tight
curve of the stream, and thus strike the outside wall, then
fall to the bottom of the cyclone where they can be
removed. In a conical system, as the rotating flow moves
towards the narrow end of the cyclone, the rotational radius
of the stream is reduced, thus separating smaller and smaller
particles
 Electrostatic Precipitator

ESPs are particulate control

devices that use electrical forces to
move particles from the air stream
to the collection plates. Particles
passing through the precipitator
are given a negative electrical
charge by being forced to pass
through a region, called a corona,
in which the gas ions flow. Once
the particle has been negatively
charged, it is forced to the
positively charged plate. Particles
are removed from the plate by a
knocking action.

The collected particles may be removed from the collector plates as dry material (dry ESPs), or
they may be washed from the plates with water (wet ESPs). ESPs are capable of collection
efficiencies greater than 99 percent.
ESPs provide a large air volume, operate favorably in various temperatures, and require little
maintenance. Their limitations include their physical size, operation expenses and inconsistent
collection efficiencies.