Activated carbon cloths show interesting properties for the treatment of dr
that is loaded with volatile organic compounds. The industrial implementat
ion of these new adsorbent materials requires the design of new reactors. C
ylindrical pleated filters made from activated carbon cloths and polypropyl
ene layers are studied using a laboratory pilot unit. Experimental pressure
drops are measured as a function of the number of pleats. The effect of th
e overlapping of the pleats, due to the significant thickness of the medium
, is shown to be very important. The use of two different parameters (the e
quivalent section and the equivalent thickness), corresponding to different
approaches, is proposed to explain the evolution of pressure drops in such
filters. Finally, a threshold criterion for determining a relevant number
of pleats is proposed.