The nozzle is one of the most important components of pulse jet systems. The optimization of a pulse jet system and its optimal operation condition are barely known because of the complicated turbulent mixing, compressibility effects, and even flow unsteadiness, which are generated in the nozzle system. In this study, a three-dimensional numerical model of a pulse jet system was established to analyse its operation characteristics by using computational fluid dynamics (CFD). The CFD simulation results were validated with existing experimental data. The flow dynamics of the pulse jet gas around the cleaning nozzle was numerically explored to predict the effects of nozzle shape and dimensions on the pulse cleaning performance in terms of pressure distribution, velocity distribution, primary mass, secondary mass, and entrainment ratio. The influences of the convergent ratio in the narrow (R ch ) and wide (R cw ) directions, as well as that of the divergent ratio (R dw ) in the wide direction, for the nozzle were discussed. Results show that the flow dynamics are most sensitive to changes of R ch among of R ch , R cw , and R dw , The entrainment ratio (R en ) increases with R ch , R dw , and R dw . The primary and secondary masses decrease with increasing R ch and R dw . The primary and secondary masses increase with R dw . The conclusions obtained in the study provide guidelines for designing a rectangular slot nozzle for pulse jet cleaning of the filter elements.