An exchange device includes a plate having a top surface, a bottom surface, a plurality of openings extending between the top and bottom surfaces. The top surface receives a liquid which flows in a flow direction over the top surface. A plurality of valves is disposed over the openings. Each valve includes a round lid coupled to the first, second, and third legs. The first leg is upstream of the second and third legs relative to the flow direction. The first leg has a width that is greater than the width of the second and third legs. In particular, a ratio of the width of the first leg to the width of the second leg is in a range of 1.6:1 to 2.6:1.

A method and device are disclosed herein for distributing a gas into a vessel. The method comprises providing a gas distribution apparatus, wherein an exposed surface of the apparatus comprises a material that inhibits adsorption of the gas and deposition of the gas' solid form. The material chosen is chemically repulsive to the gas and the gas' solid form. In this manner, desublimation of the gas and deposition of the gas' solid form onto the exposed surface is prevented. The device disclosed herein is the gas distribution apparatus referenced above.

A method and device are disclosed herein for distributing a gas into a vessel. The method comprises providing a gas distribution apparatus, wherein an exposed surface of the apparatus comprises a material that inhibits adsorption of the gas and deposition of the gas' solid form. The material chosen is chemically repulsive to the gas and the gas' solid form. In this manner, desublimation of the gas and deposition of the gas' solid form onto the exposed surface is prevented. The device disclosed herein is the gas distribution apparatus referenced above.

An oil scrub column having a petroleum spirit section and an oil section where each section has mass transfer trays having a plurality of runoff elements that extend parallel to and at a distance from one another, to form angular profiles. The runoff elements have first and second runoff surfaces that converge to form an edge. Scrubbing media introduced onto the edges of the runoff elements flows off via the runoff surfaces at both sides of the edge. The oil section has a greater number of mass transfer trays than the petroleum spirit section. The petroleum spirit section is shorter than the oil section. The mass transfer trays of the petroleum spirit section may be sieve trays, bubble trays or valve trays.

An oil scrub column having a petroleum spirit section and an oil section where each section has mass transfer trays having a plurality of runoff elements that extend parallel to and at a distance from one another, to form angular profiles. The runoff elements have first and second runoff surfaces that converge to form an edge. Scrubbing media introduced onto the edges of the runoff elements flows off via the runoff surfaces at both sides of the edge. The oil section has a greater number of mass transfer trays than the petroleum spirit section. The petroleum spirit section is shorter than the oil section. The mass transfer trays of the petroleum spirit section may be sieve trays, bubble trays or valve trays.

The invention is directed to a tray deck orifice device for use with a tray deck in a vessel. The repair device includes a flat member having a defined thickness and a void at a center thereof, and at least one anti-spin tab extending from an edge or edges of the flat member inwardly towards the void, wherein the repair device is designed to attach to the surface of the tray deck such that the void is aligned with a hole in the tray deck.

Some variations provide a process for producing an alternative tobacco product from leafy edible biomass, comprising: introducing leafy edible biomass and a liquid solvent mixture to an extraction vessel, wherein the liquid solvent mixture contains a solvent and an anti-solvent; extracting one or more compounds from the biomass into the liquid solvent mixture, to generate a first phase and a second phase; recovering solvent from the second phase, thereby generating recovered solvent; removing one or more compounds from the recovered solvent, thereby generating purified recovered solvent; recycling the purified recovered solvent back to the extraction vessel; drying the first phase to remove residual solvent, thereby generating dried extracted biomass solids and a vapor of the residual solvent; condensing vapor of the residual solvent, thereby generating condensed recovered solvent; recycling the condensed recovered solvent back to the extraction vessel; and recovering the dried extracted biomass solids as an alternative tobacco product.

Some variations provide a process for producing an alternative tobacco product from leafy edible biomass, comprising: introducing leafy edible biomass and a liquid solvent mixture to an extraction vessel, wherein the liquid solvent mixture contains a solvent and an anti-solvent; extracting one or more compounds from the biomass into the liquid solvent mixture, to generate a first phase and a second phase; recovering solvent from the second phase, thereby generating recovered solvent; removing one or more compounds from the recovered solvent, thereby generating purified recovered solvent; recycling the purified recovered solvent back to the extraction vessel; drying the first phase to remove residual solvent, thereby generating dried extracted biomass solids and a vapor of the residual solvent; condensing vapor of the residual solvent, thereby generating condensed recovered solvent; recycling the condensed recovered solvent back to the extraction vessel; and recovering the dried extracted biomass solids as an alternative tobacco product.

A downcomer apparatus for use in a multi-stage bubble column humidifier. The humidifier comprises at least a first, second and third stage, wherein each of said stages includes an inlet, an outlet and a chamber defined by said stage, in fluid communication with the inlet and the outlet. In the humidifier, a heated liquid fluid stream flowing downwardly exchanges mass and heat with a cooler carrier gas stream flowing upwardly through the bubble column. A bubble generator comprising a perforated plate, or sparger, passes the carrier gas, such as air, from a lower chamber to form bubbles in a fluid, such as water, forming a bath on an upper chamber. An off-set arrangement of downcomer apparatuses, wherein said apparatus comprises a funnel, a watergate, and a downcomer, is used to prevent a recirculation of humid bubbles from the upper chamber to the lower chamber, thus preventing the air stream from circumventing the bubble generator in the form of the humid bubbles. This arrangement assures the maximum possible performance of the humidifier, as the entire air stream is forced to move through the bubble column, thus maximizing the air-water surface interface for an efficient mass and heat exchange.

The present invention relates to a device that conditions high entrance velocity, superheated feed gas, which include some high boiling components, for example, asphaltenes and poly-nuclear aromatics that tend to coke upon condensation and exposure to the superheated feed gas temperature. Also included in superheated feed gas are solid catalyst fines, from a single or multiple feed nozzles to a quiescent flow regime for uniform distribution of the gases, to a contact device within the Main Fractionator (MF) column.