A plant for dealcoholising alcoholic beverages includes a rectification column having at least one inlet for the alcoholic beverage, a sump and a top. The rectification column is operable such that dealcoholised beverage can be removed from the sump and exhaust vapour can be removed from the top. At least one evaporator is configured to supply the rectification column with vapour. A condenser arrangement condenses the exhaust vapour removed from the top of the rectification column, at least in part. The plant further includes a heat pump which can operate the evaporator as well as the condenser arrangement. A method for dealcoholising alcoholic beverages in a rectification column is also disclosed.

Provided are techniques that include operating a spiral contactor. The techniques include receiving, by a spiral contactor, a first fluid, and receiving a second fluid, wherein the first fluid is different than the second fluid. The techniques also include exchanging the first fluid and the second fluid using the spiral contactor, and outputting a deoxygenated fluid from the spiral contactor, wherein the deoxygenated fluid has a lower oxygen concentration than the first fluid.

A fluid handling structure for a lithographic apparatus configured to contain immersion fluid to a region, the fluid handling structure having, at a boundary of a space: at least one gas knife opening in a radially outward direction of the space; and at least one gas supply opening in the radially outward direction of the at least gas knife opening relative to the space. The gas knife opening and the gas supply opening both provide substantially pure CO.sub.2 gas so as to provide a substantially pure CO.sub.2 gas environment adjacent to, and radially outward of, the space.

A fluid handling structure for a lithographic apparatus configured to contain immersion fluid to a region, the fluid handling structure having, at a boundary of a space: at least one gas knife opening in a radially outward direction of the space; and at least one gas supply opening in the radially outward direction of the at least gas knife opening relative to the space. The gas knife opening and the gas supply opening both provide substantially pure CO.sub.2 gas so as to provide a substantially pure CO.sub.2 gas environment adjacent to, and radially outward of, the space.

A cyclone type liquid-vapor separator includes a chamber including: an internal space wherein the treatment liquid introduced into the internal space is depressurized and evaporated; a vapor outlet formed on a top of the chamber and through which vapors generated through the evaporation is discharged; and a concentrated liquid outlet formed on a bottom of the chamber and through which the concentrated treatment liquid is discharged; an inlet part coupled to a side surface of the chamber in a tangent line direction of an inner peripheral surface of the chamber, the treatment liquid introduced into the chamber is turned in the form of vortexes along the inner peripheral surface of the chamber, and at least one partition wall disposed in an area between the inlet part and the vapor outlet of the internal space of the chamber and protruding from the inner peripheral wall of the chamber to prevent mist contained in the vapors from moving upwardly.

Examples of gas liquid separators include a chamber, a fluid mixture inlet, a gas outlet and a liquid outlet. The fluid mixture inlet and the gas and liquid outlets are in fluid communication with the chamber. A fluid mixture received at the fluid mixture inlet diffuses inside the chamber and is separated into a liquid and a gas. The separated liquid is gravity-fed to the liquid outlet. The gas liquid separators have reduced dispersion and increased liquid recovery in comparison to conventional gas liquid separators used for chromatographic separations. The reduced dispersion yields an improvement in the shape of chromatographic peaks.

A fluid chamber assembly is disclosed that includes a housing defining at least one de-aeration opening, and a barrier within the housing that divides an interior of the housing into a first chamber and a second chamber. The barrier includes at least one perforation. The barrier can have a curved profile. The at least one perforation can include multiple perforations. The at least one perforation can have a conical profile.

A fluid degassing device can include a shell configured to retain a selectively permeable hollow fiber bundle, wherein the shell defines a first flow port and a second flow port and at least a third flow port, and a selectively permeable hollow fiber bundle having a plurality of hollow fibers disposed within the shell such that a first flow circuit is defined between the first flow port and the second flow port, and a second flow circuit is defined in fluid communication with at least the third port such that an inner channel of one or more of the hollow fibers is in fluid communication with at least the third flow port, wherein second flow circuit is partially fluidly isolated from the first flow circuit such that at least one first fluid cannot pass through a wall of one or more hollow fibers, but such that at least one second fluid can pass through the wall of the one or more hollow fibers. The shell and the fiber bundle include a non-cylindrical shape.

The group of inventions refers to heat exchange machinery. The device includes a tank with an outlet fitting and a steam source, a deaerator column with a cover and water inlet and vapor blowdown fittings located on the same, containing lower and upper deaeration sections. Each section includes pressure and distribution trays forming a jet chamber in the space between them, and random element packing. Deaeration sections are separated by a hydraulic seal formed by the edge of the upper section pressure tray and the projection connected to the deaerator column cover. The water inlet and vapor blowdown fittings are located inside the hydraulic seal projection with openings in it. The lower edges of the openings are located higher than the upper edge of the hydraulic seal by a value exceeding the sum of overflow height of the coolant over the edge and hydraulic resistance of the hydraulic seal channel. The total cross section of the openings is determined by equality of steam pressure in the blowdown fitting and in the space inside the hydraulic seal projection. This increases the operation reliability.

Exemplary embodiments are directed to a gas liquid separator that includes a chamber, a fluid mixture inlet, a solvent outlet and a gas outlet. The gas liquid separator can include a phase-change inducing mechanism disposed in or proximate to the fluid mixture inlet. Exemplary methods of improving separation of a fluid mixture in a gas liquid separator and CO.sub.2-based chromatography flow systems including a gas liquid separator are also provided.