Filtering media member for filtering particulate matter in a fluid stream

A method of filtering particulate matter in a fluid stream, comprising:

• providing a filtering media member, formed as an integral component of a single piece of porous material, and comprising a first edge portion, a second edge portion spaced apart from the first edge portion in a longitudinal direction and comprising a downstream edge that extends in a lateral direction, a main portion arranged intermediate the first and second edge portions, the edge portions and the main portion together defining a generally planar first surface, and a plurality of channels formed in the main portion and recessed relative to the first surface to provide surface area for particle entrainment, each of the channels arranged adjacent to one another in the lateral direction and having a length that extends in the longitudinal direction, each of the channels comprising an inlet and having a width in the lateral direction that decreases across its length so that the channels taper in the longitudinal direction away from the inlet;
• and
• flowing the fluid stream through the inlet to the respective channel and through the filtering media member to entrain the particulate matter in the filtering media member,
• wherein each of the channels terminates adjacent to the second edge portion so that the step of flowing comprises flowing fluid from the channel through the second edge portion to the downstream edge.

A filtering media member, comprising:

• an upstream edge that extends in a lateral direction;
• a downstream edge that is spaced apart from the upstream edge in a longitudinal direction and extends in the lateral direction;
• and
• a plurality of alternating first and second duct elements extending in the longitudinal direction between the upstream and downstream edges,
• wherein each of the first duct elements has a width in the lateral direction that increases across its length between the upstream and downstream edges, and each of the second duct elements has a width in the lateral direction that decreases across its length so that the second duct elements taper between the upstream and downstream edges,
• wherein the filtering media member is an integral component formed of a single piece of porous material, and
• wherein, at the upstream edge, each of the second duct elements forms an inlet between the respective adjacent first duct elements, and, at the downstream edge, each of the second duct elements extends towards an outer surface formed by the respective adjacent first duct elements.