A gas-solid contacting system (100) with structured packing (108) is disclosed. The structured packing (108) comprises a gas header (102) with an inlet to receive a gas. A plurality of vertically aligned tubes (104) is fluidically connected to the gas header (102), wherein each vertically aligned tube (104) comprises openings (180) to distribute the gas at different heights in a radial direction. A structured packing element (106) is arranged on each vertically aligned tube (104), wherein the structured packing element (106) comprises one or more plates attached to the vertically aligned tube (104) to create a convoluted 3-dimensional flow path for smooth flow and radial distribution of a solid particulate stream.

A loading device for loading pellets into reactor tubes has a modular design, which can be taken apart, moved through a manway, and then reassembled simply by stacking one part on top of another. A reciprocating slide plate and a vibrator work together to meter pellets through the loading device and into the reactor tubes.

Systems and methods for industrial tower packing using a high-energy laser surface processing technique are disclosed. The system includes a tower, a high-energy laser, a plurality of packing materials, and micro-sized or nano-sized structures on a packing material. The high-energy laser surface processing technique creates microscale structures that allow for high surface wettability. The high-energy laser creates micro-sized or nano-sized structures on a plurality of packing materials surfaces. The packing materials may be provided in industrial columns. The packing materials may be various shapes and sizes comprising various structures ablated into a surface of the packing materials to generate high surface area contact between a downward-flowing liquid and an upward-flowing gas. The use of a high-energy laser surface processing results in favorable super-wettable column packing material and geometry.

A loading device for loading pellets into reactor tubes has a modular design, which can be taken apart, moved through a manway, and then reassembled simply by stacking one part on top of another. A reciprocating slide plate and a vibrator work together to meter pellets through the loading device and into the reactor tubes.