The invention relates to a filling system (1) for a container for storing solid particles, comprising a distribution device (5) for solid particles for receiving and selectively distributing the solid particles towards a dispensing device (7), and comprising at least one divider element (11), the dispensing device (7) comprising at least one scattering element (13) for homogeneously filling the container with solid particles, the divider element (11) being rotatably mounted about an axis substantially parallel to the direction of flow of the stream of solid particles in order to allocate any defect in the flow of the solid particles in the distribution device (5).

A catalyst loading and unloading system for chemical reactors has an extendable catalyst transfer tube that is fed by a catalyst hopper and controlled by a tube displacement mechanism; more particularly, by a winch mechanism. As the reactor chamber fills with catalyst, a lower end of the extendable catalyst transfer tube is displaced upward by the tube displacement mechanism to correspond with the rising height of the catalyst bed within the chamber. The extendable catalyst transfer tube may further be used to vacuum old catalyst out of the reactor chamber.

The machinery and methods disclosed herein are based on the use of a specialized extruder configured to continuously convey and plasticize/moltenize selected lignocellulosic biomass and/or waste plastic materials into a novel variable volume tubular reactor, wherein the plasticized/moltenized material undergoes reaction with circumferentially injected supercritical water—thereby yielding valuable simple sugar solutions and/or liquid hydrocarbon mixtures (e.g., “neodiesel”), both of which are key chemical commodity products. The reaction time may be adjusted by changing the reactor volume. The machinery includes four zones: (1) a feedstock conveyance and plasticization/moltenization zone; (2) a steam generation and manifold distribution zone; (3) a central supercritical water reaction zone; and (4) a pressure let-down and reaction product separation zone. The machinery and methods minimize water usage—thereby enabling the economic utilization of abundant biomass and waste plastics as viable renewable feedstocks for subsequent conversion into alternative liquid transportation fuels and valuable green-chemical products.

A rotary feeder having a stationary, cylindrical housing having disposed therein a number of injection nozzles, and within which rotate a plurality of vanes about a central axis, wherein pairs of adjacent vanes of the plurality of vanes define wedge volumes, wherein the housing extends a width along the central axis, wherein each of the vanes has a length along the central axis, and wherein the injection nozzles are positioned across the width of the housing, such that a spray pattern of a gas injected via the number of injection nozzles spans substantially the entire length of the vanes.

Rotary valves are adapted to replace traditional slide valves in fluid catalytic cracking units (FCCUs) such as regenerated catalyst valves, spent catalyst valves, cooled catalyst valves, and recirculation catalyst valves. The rotary valves as discussed herein are significantly more compact than a slide valve having a similar flow capacity. The rotary valve is better adapted to provide flow control or throttling than slide valves are. Flow control or throttling occurs with greater response and precision in response to control inputs and rotation. In addition to the size reduction achieved with the rotary valve, the required controls and/or hydraulic fluid necessary to achieve flow changes are significantly reduced, further saving costs for the valve, as hydraulic power units are not required. The omission of a hydraulic power unit also reduces the size of the valve and/or its accompanying structures within the FCCU.

A process for maintaining an optimum polymerization process in a continuous loop polymerization reactor by driving a catalyst feed range set-point around a bad catalyst set-point range using a bad catalyst feed rate program to vary the catalyst feed rate for differing periods of time between previously determined good catalyst feed rates.

A rotary feeder having a stationary, cylindrical housing having disposed therein a number of injection nozzles, and within which rotate a plurality of vanes about a central axis, wherein pairs of adjacent vanes of the plurality of vanes define wedge volumes, wherein the housing extends a width along the central axis, wherein each of the vanes has a length along the central axis, and wherein the injection nozzles are positioned across the width of the housing, such that a spray pattern of a gas injected via the number of injection nozzles spans substantially the entire length of the vanes.

The invention relates to a distributor device, to a method for guiding materials, and to a method for cleaning a distributor device. The distributor device for guiding materials, in particular particulate pharmaceutical solids, comprises: a process chamber (2) having at least one inlet opening (3) and having at least two outlet openings (4), a distributor element (5) for distributing the materials, wherein the distributor element (5) extends through the process chamber (2) in order to connect the inlet opening (3) to one of the outlet openings (4), wherein the distributor element (5) is arranged rotatably about an axis of rotation (6), and a cleaning apparatus (7) which is configured to clean the process chamber (2) and the distributor element (5).

An apparatus for enhancing phase contact and chemical reactions is provided. The apparatus comprises at least one high-turbulence mixing stage and at least one high-shear-stress and high-cavitation stage. The stages are adapted to cause an increase in relative sliding speeds of phases involved in a multiphase flow passing through the stages. The high-shear-stress and high-cavitation stage comprises a rotor having radial teeth housed in a cavitation chamber surrounded by a stator having radial teeth. The facing surfaces of the radial teeth have a parabolic profile in circumferential direction. For each tooth, the parabolic profile lies along a curve of a parabola of which a vertex is arranged at a rear edge of the tooth, with respect to a direction of rotation of the rotor, and along a radius extending from the rear edge to a center of the rotor. The focus of the parabola is also located on the radius.

A rotary feeder comprising a stationary, cylindrical housing having disposed therein a number of injection nozzles, and within which rotate a plurality of vanes about a central axis, wherein the housing extends a width along the central axis, wherein each of the vanes has a length along the central axis, and wherein the injection nozzles are positioned across the width of the housing, such that a spray pattern of a gas injected via the number of injection nozzles spans substantially the entire length of the vanes. A system comprising and a method utilizing such a rotary feeder are also provided herein.