Treating and conditioning liquid sludge and a solidified sludge cake obtained thereby are disclosed. A first emulsion of sludge is formed in an in-line container fed at a first flow rate Q owing to the impact of the sludge with air injected into the container at a rate Q, where Q>5Q, in a first region which has a small volume of less than 0.05 m3. The first emulsion is then transferred into a second region of the container extending over a first length, and is then discharged via a component which generates a head loss in a chamber extending over a second length. A flocculant is injected in order to obtain a second coagulated emulsion, which is at least partially degasified. The matter in suspension in the second emulsion obtained in this way is then filtered or decanted.

A contact tray for use in a mass transfer or heat exchange column and having a tray deck with an inlet area and a remotely positioned outlet for respectively receiving liquid on the tray deck and then removing the liquid after it has flowed across the tray deck and interacted with another fluid on and above the tray deck. A plurality of barriers are positioned between the inlet area and the outlet. The barriers each have spaced-apart pickets and openings in the spacing between adjacent ones of the pickets. The pickets impede the flow of the liquid and increase the upstream liquid loading on the tray deck as the liquid flows from the inlet area, through the openings, and then into the outlet. At low liquid flow rates, this increase in the liquid loading may significantly increase the vapor handling capacity of the tray.

An assembly for supporting a member in a vessel comprises a clip comprising an arm with a first end attached to a panel and a second end opposed to the panel. The panel is secured in the vessel. The assembly also comprises a plate slidably disposed between the second end of the arm and the panel. The subject matter also pertains to the clip itself and the method of use.

A device for infusing gas into a liquid includes a housing and a tube having a width that is smaller than that of the housing and which is positioned within the housing such that the longitudinal axis of the tube is approximately parallel to that of the housing. The device further includes potting compound interposed between an outside surface of the tube and an inside surface of the housing at both ends of the tube. Microporous hollow fibers extend from the potting compound at the first end of the tube and through the potting compound at the second end of the tube. Openings in the device allow for the introduction of gas and liquid into the device. Gas enters the device and into the microporous hollow fibers. Liquid enters the device and is exposed to the outer surfaces of the microporous hollow fibers. Gas passes from the microporous hollow fibers to the liquid and is dissolved into the liquid. Liquid infused with gas exits the device.

A system for dissolving gases in water comprises a mixing chamber that holds gas and a container in fluid communication with the mixing chamber. In operation, the mixing chamber is flooded to purge the ambient air. A gas delivery system introduces gas into the mixing chamber to push the water out. A pump then pumps temperature and salinity-treated water into the mixing chamber, and a distributor sprays or disperses the water into the mixing chamber. An optional impingement plate and/or mixing medium trap gas bubbles and hold gas-saturated water within the mixing chamber. This produces a volume of substantially bubble-free, highly-saturated gas-infused water that is then released into the container to mix with the water contained therein. This system can be incorporated in aquariums, ice chests, buckets, and live wells found on boats, kayaks, trucks, and other transports.

Condensing apparatuses and their use in various heat and mass exchange systems are generally described. The condensing apparatuses, such as bubble column condensers, may employ a heat exchanger positioned external to the condensing vessel to remove heat from a bubble column condenser outlet stream to produce a heat exchanger outlet stream. In certain cases, the condensing apparatus may also include a cooling device positioned external to the vessel configured and positioned to remove heat from the heat exchanger outlet stream to produce a cooling device outlet stream. The condensing apparatus may be configured to include various internal features, such as a vapor distribution region and/or a plurality of liquid flow control weirs and/or chambers within the apparatus having an aspect ratio of at least 1.5. A condensing apparatus may be coupled with a humidifier to form part of a desalination system, in certain cases.

A gas-liquid contact apparatus has a gas-liquid contact unit, a liquid supply system, and a gas supply system. The gas-liquid contact unit includes a plurality of stages which are allocated so as to be arranged in the lateral direction. Each of the plurality of stages includes a plurality of vertical flat plates arranged parallel to each other at intervals. The liquid supply system supplies a liquid to the gas-liquid contact unit, and causes the liquid to be circulated along the arrangement of the plurality of stages successively. The gas supply system supplies a gas to the gas-liquid contact unit, and causes the gas to be circulated along the arrangement of the plurality of stages successively. The supplied liquid flows down on the plurality of vertical flat plates in each of the plurality of stages, and comes into contact with the supplied gas.

Embodiments of a direct-drive fan system and a variable process control system are disclosed herein. The direct-drive fan system and the variable process control system efficiently manage the operation of fans in a cooling system such as a wet-cooling tower or air-cooled heat exchanger (ACHE), HVAC systems, mechanical towers or chiller systems.

A counter-flow simultaneous heat and mass exchange device is operated by directing flows of two fluids into a heat and mass exchange device at initial mass flow rates where ideal changes in total enthalpy rates of the two fluids are unequal. At least one of the following state variables in the fluids is measured: temperature, pressure and concentration, which together define the thermodynamic state of the two fluid streams at the points of entry to and exit from the device. The mass flow rate of at least one of the two fluids is changed such that the ideal change in total enthalpy rates of the two fluids through the device are brought closer to being equal.

An apparatus has a housing with at least one gutter, a body of fill material disposed in the housing, a liquid distribution system disposed in the housing and positioned above the fill material, a fan positioned below the body of fill material for blowing air upward through the fill material, a liquid collection assembly positioned between the fill material and the fan for collecting the liquid gravitating through the fill material. The liquid collection assembly has at least one troughless, open sided surface element angled so gravity is utilized to capture the down flowing liquid to provide a barrier between the fill media and the fan and to carry the liquid down the surface element and into the at least one gutter.