The vexed topic of fine particles is once again on everyone's lips - almost literally, in fact. These highly dangerous emissions pollute the air we breathe, particularly in areas with high volumes of traffic, to such an extent that even new cars risk being banned in the near future. Yet it isn’t just cars that are causing these high pollution levels. Solid fuel firing systems, as useful as they are, are also liable to emit microparticles that can find their way into the lungs. Strict emission limits thus also need to be adhered to in this area. It is in this context that the newly developed HZF fine particle filter from Nolting Holzfeuerungstechnik GmbH, based in Detmold, Germany, is now celebrating its world premiere at LIGNA 2017 in Hannover.

This innovative in-house development is a combination of cyclone separator and downstream fine particle filter. The outside of the HZF consists of a compact insulated steel enclosure with a height-adjustable substructure. In the first stage, the exhaust gas is fed through a cyclone where larger particles are prefiltered. The actual fine particle separation then takes place in a downstream electrical filter using an electrostatic charge. What's more, the HZF doesn't just purify exhaust gas but also regularly cleans itself. Particulate matter is removed from the electrodes and separator surfaces by a shaking mechanism and is collected in a receiving tank, from where it can be disposed of via an integrated bypass. The new HZF can be used for automatically fueled solid fuel firing systems up to approximately 500 kilowatts.