Different from conventional pleated filter cartridges, which apply pleated filter media as the cartridge sidewall, seal one end as the base and open the other end as the entrance for cleaning flow, ones with inner pleated filter cones, called as cone pleated filter cartridges, have been recently proposed to increase the filtration area and to improve the efficiency of the reverse pulsed-flow cleaning. This work investigated the cleaning performance of cone pleated filter cartridges via the numerical modeling. Our modeling shows that, for a cone pleated filter cartridge cleaned by a reverse pulsed-flow, a high- and low- pressure zones were developed in the inside spaces close to the open and sealed ends of filter cartridges, respectively, and the variation of static pressure was observed in the radial cross section of filter cartridges was negligible. For cone pleated filter cartridges with a low cone height H-C (i.e., < 660 mm, the cartridge height), a negative pressure zone was found in the inside region near the open end of cartridges. Two events of pressure waves were experienced during the cleaning of cone pleated filter cartridges. Between both wave events, the first one was significantly affected by H-C. As the Hc was increased, the overall cleaning intensity developed inside the cartridges was topped for filters with H-C = 760 mm and then decreased. In addition, the cleaning uniformity of cone pleated filter cartridges was generally improved compared to to that for ones without pleated filter cones. (C) 2020 Institution of Chemical Engineers. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.