An exhaust duct for a fossil fuel powered engine includes an exhaust gas passage, a cooling fluid passage, a mixing device for mixing cooling fluid with the hot exhaust gas and a selective catalytic reduction catalyst for removing nitrogen oxides arranged in the exhaust gas passage. The mixing device has a mixing chamber with a first wall and an opposed second wall, the first and second wall arranged upstream of the selective catalytic reduction catalyst in the exhaust gas passage and extending over the cross-sectional area of the exhaust gas passage, both walls perforated by through holes, wherein through holes of the first wall are connected with through holes of the second wall in pairs by pipes extending through the mixing chamber, the pipes perforated by at least one hole into the mixing chamber and the cooling fluid passage ending into the mixing chamber.

An apparatus and method for automatically preparing a mixture of particles of two or more substances such as but not limited to raw tobacco and raw medical cannabis flowers in one or more receptacle where the mixture proportion is predefined, is disclosed. The apparatus of the invention can be used for mixing any types of herbal substances. Moreover, the apparatus of the invention can be used for mixing one or more kinds of the same substance, for example mixing two or more kinds of marijuana strains. The apparatus includes one or more compartments for inserting each of the substances separately. In some variations of the present invention the size of at least one of the compartments is smaller for predefined smaller quantities of raw herbal material for example, a single marijuana flower.

In order to efficiently produce a liquid containing ultrafine bubbles of a desired gas, an ultrafine bubble-containing liquid producing apparatus includes a gas dissolving unit that dissolves a predetermined gas into a liquid, and a UFB generating unit that generates ultrafine bubbles in the liquid in which the predetermined gas is dissolved. A CPU performs control under a first condition in a case of causing the gas dissolving unit to operate in a circulation route passing through the dissolving unit. The CPU performs control under a second condition different from the first condition in a case of causing the UFB generating unit to operate in a circulation route passing through the UFB generating unit.

A method of producing a carbonated beverage comprising a blend of water and syrup having a predetermined final carbonation level. The method includes the steps of: introducing CO.sub.2 into a flowing stream of a product blend comprising water, syrup and dissolved oxygen, such that CO.sub.2 is dissolved in the product blend; deaerating the CO.sub.2-containing product blend by introducing the blend into a vented atmospheric vessel, the interior of which is at ambient pressure with a headspace maintained above the surface of the liquid within the vessel, whereby dissolved oxygen is released from the product blend and vented from the vessel; pumping the deaerated product blend from the vessel, wherein the deaerated blend includes dissolved CO.sub.2 at an intermediate carbonation level less than the final carbonation level; and carbonating the deaerated product blend to the final carbonation level downstream of the vented vessel to produce a carbonated beverage for subsequent packaging. A system for performing the method is also provided, as well as a method of producing a beverage using nitrogen deaeration.

A carbonation machine with integrated water treatment. The carbonation machine may include a carbonation system for carbonating water in a bottle attached to a carbonation head of the system, a detachable water reservoir, configured to be mounted on a base with an outlet port to allow outward flow of water from the reservoir, piping connecting the outlet port of the water reservoir to transfer water from the detachable reservoir and to pour the water into the bottle, a pump for pumping water out of the water reservoir and transfer the pumped water via the piping, a controller configured to control the pump, and one or more water treatment components fluidically connected to the piping to apply water treatment to water flowing through the piping.

System and method for mixing a catalyst precursor into heavy oil using a high boiling hydrocarbon diluent to form a diluted precursor mixture, which is mixed with the heavy oil feedstock to form a conditioned feedstock, which is subsequently heated to decompose the precursor and form dispersed metal sulfide catalyst particles in situ. Because the high boiling hydrocarbon diluent is typically at a temperature above the decomposition temperature of the catalyst precursor, it is first feed through a cooler to reduce its temperature to avoid premature decomposition of the catalyst precursor. The high boiling hydrocarbon diluent may include a portion of the heavy oil feedstock, a portion of the conditioned feedstock, a vacuum tower bottoms product, or other high boiling hydrocarbon material having a boiling point higher than 524° C. A portion of the diluent may optionally include a medium boiling hydrocarbon material having a boiling point less than 524° C.

Shown and described is a device (100) for dosing and/or preparing a mixture of substances, in particular a medium or a buffer, the device (100) comprising: at least one first container (102), which is designed to receive at least one solid component, at least one first dosing device (104) for dosing the at least one solid component, the first dosing device (104) being connected to or can be connected to the first container (102), at least one fluid connection (110, 110′) to connect to at least one second container (103, 103′), which is designed to receive at least one fluid, and/or a fluid line for supplying a fluid, and at least one second dosing device (108, 108′) for dosing the at least one fluid, the second dosing device (108, 108′) being connected or connectable to the second container (103, 103′) or to the fluid line, respectively. the fluid line, wherein the at least one second container (103, 103′) and/or the at least one second dosing device (108, 108′) are replaceable and are developed as disposable articles, and/or wherein the at least one first container (102) and/or the at least one first dosing device (104) are replaceable and are developed as disposable articles.

Methods to prepare elastomer compounds are described that include dry mixing at least one additive to an elastomer composite masterbatch at low temperatures over a shortened mixing cycle with reduced energy consumption. The elastomer composite masterbatch is produced in a liquid masterbatch process. The resulting elastomer compounds are further described as well as property improvements that can be achieved.

Improving health and experience of a cosmetic product user, the robotic cosmetic mix bar of the present invention is disclosed. The robotic cosmetic mix bar allows the user to select safe ingredients tailored to their own unique hair and skincare goals. In one embodiment, the robotic cosmetic mix bar contains a robotic arm surrounded by a dispenser and multiple processing stations. Based on a user input indicating a type of cosmetic product and the ingredients to include in the cosmetic product, the robotic arm obtains the desired ingredients from the dispenser and, by transporting the ingredients from one processing station to another, the robotic arm facilitates the processing of the ingredients. The processing of ingredients can include boiling, cooling, mixing, whisking, blending, etc. Within approximately two minutes, the cosmetic product built according to the user specifications is delivered to the user.

A slurry production apparatus includes: a mixing device (including a dispersion mixing section) that mixes a liquid and a powder to produce a slurry; a powder supply device that supplies the powder to the mixing device; a powder dry box that accommodates an opening portion of the powder supply device; and a first dry booth that accommodates the mixing device and the powder dry box.