Apparatus for removing particulate matter from a gas stream

An apparatus for removing particulate matter from a gas stream, said apparatus comprising in combination:

• (a) an inlet plenum for conducting the gas stream containing the particulate matter, said inlet plenum including a distribution portion;
• (b) injector means communicating with said inlet plenum for injecting sorbent particles into the gas stream, said injector means injecting the sorbent particles along a predetermined path;
• (c) electrostatic charging means positioned in the path of the injected sorbent particles for electrostatically charging the injected sorbent particles, the particulate matter contained by the gas stream becoming electrostatically charged by mixing with the charged sorbent particles;
• (d) a plurality of vertically oriented filter cells each having an upper and lower end, each of said filter cells including an outer container having perforated walls and an inner container having perforated walls, said inner container being positioned within said outer container, said filter cells each continuously moving granular media from the upper end of each filter cell to the lower end of each filter cell along a path bordered by said inner and outer containers;
• (e) coupling means for coupling said inner container of each of said filter cells to the distribution portion of said inlet plenum to allow the gas stream, with the particulate matter and sorbent particles therein, to pass through the perforated walls of said inner container, through the moving granular media, and through the perforated walls of said outer container;
• (f) clean gas outlet means communicating with said plurality of filter cells for exhausting the gas stream directed through the perforated walls of said inner and outer containers thereof;
• (g) a source of granular media;
• and
• (h) media distribution means coupled to the upper end of each of said filter cells for distributing the granular media to each of said filter cells, said media distribution means being inclined with respect to a horizontal plane and having an upper end coupled to said source of granular media;
• whereby, the granular media falls under the force of gravity through said media distribution means and is distributed to said plurality of filter cells.