Provided herein are methods and systems for converting natural gas, and specifically methane, into higher-value oxycarbon products, such as methanol, methyl formate, and formic acid. The natural gas is introduced into an aqueous solution with hydroxyl radicals and reacted in ambient conditions to form the desired products in the presence of a metal catalyst. The methods described herein overcome the over-activation dilemma of prior art methods that lead to the formation of undesirable carbon oxide compounds. Methods and apparatus for forming hydrogen peroxide via electrolysis and for forming hydroxyl radicals from the hydrogen peroxide via reaction with ferrous ions are also provided.

The contacting device for countercurrent contacting of fluid streams and having a first pair of intersecting grids of spaced-apart and parallel deflector blades and a second pair of intersecting grids of spaced-apart and parallel deflector blades. The deflector blades in each one of the grids are interleaved with the deflector blades in the paired intersecting grid and may have uncut side portions that join them together along a transverse strip where the deflector blades cross each other or adjacent opposed ends of the deflector blades and cut side portions that extend from the uncut side portions to the ends of the deflector blades. At least some of the deflector blades have directional tabs and associated openings to allow portions of the fluid streams to pass through the deflector blades to facilitate mixing of the fluid streams.

A sparging evaporator for an inerting system including an outer vessel, an inner vessel within the outer vessel, and a plenum formed between the inner and outer vessels. The outer vessel includes a gas inlet for receiving inlet gas into the plenum, and a liquid inlet for receiving liquid fuel into the plenum. The inlet gas in the plenum generates a gas pressure that is exerted against a free surface of the liquid fuel in the plenum thereby forcing the liquid fuel and the inlet gas through an inlet of the inner vessel. The inner vessel contains a lattice structure that promotes liberation of fuel vapor from the liquid fuel and enables the inlet gas in the liquid fuel to sparge the fuel vapor in the liquid fuel, thereby forming a fuel-enriched gas mixture that can be fed to a reactor of the inerting system.

A contactor for a heat and/or material exchange column includes an arrangement of two structured packings developing different geometric surface areas and having parallel principal directions. A heat exchange column, a floating structure including such a contactor, and the use of a column equipped with such a contactor are also disclosed.

The contacting device for countercurrent contacting of fluid streams and having a first pair of intersecting grids of spaced-apart and parallel deflector blades and a second pair of intersecting grids of spaced-apart and parallel deflector blades. The deflector blades in each one of the grids are interleaved with the deflector blades in the paired intersecting grid and may have uncut side portions that join them together along a transverse strip where the deflector blades cross each other or adjacent opposed ends of the deflector blades and cut side portions that extend from the uncut side portions to the ends of the deflector blades. At least some of the deflector blades have directional tabs and associated openings to allow portions of the fluid streams to pass through the deflector blades to facilitate mixing of the fluid streams.

The present invention relates to a packing structure made up of an ordered arrangement of bundles of tubes (1). For each tube bundle, tubes (1) are oriented in the four directions formed by the diagonals of a rectangular parallelepiped having one dimension larger than the others.

A thermal exchange pack (10) for a cooling tower includes a plurality of reticular panels (1), each panel defining a longitudinal plane (1a) and a sagittal plane (1b) normal to the longitudinal plane (1a), crossing at a main axis (1c), and extending on the longitudinal plane (1a) in a corrugated way, making fins (2) recurrent along the main axis (1c), arranged in two rows (1) symmetrical in respect of said sagittal plane (1b), extending along corresponding secondary axes (2a) transversal to the main axis (1c) and mutually parallel, each including at least a top crest (20) more spaced from the longitudinal plane (1a) in respect of the remnant fin (2), wherein the panels (1) are mutually stacked in the pack (10), so that each longitudinal plane (1a) is spaced from an adjacent longitudinal plane (1a) through the fins (2), and wherein the pack (10) is so configured, that in operation each longitudinal plane (1a) is parallel to a bottom of a water collection basin of a cooling tower.

A reticular panel (1) for a cooling tower defining a longitudinal plane (1a) and a sagittal plane (1b) normal to the longitudinal plane (1a), crossing in a main axis (1c) and developed on the longitudinal plane (1a) in a corrugated mode, making fins (2) recurrent along the main axis (1c), arranged in two rows (1) symmetrical to said sagittal plane (1b), extending along corresponding secondary axes (2a) transversal to the main axis (1c) and mutually parallel, each row including at least a top crest (20) more spaced from the longitudinal plane (1a) in respect of the rest of the fin (2), wherein each fin (2) includes at least a blade (23) extending parallel to the secondary axis (2a) configured to increase the surface of thermal exchange of the panel (1).

A reticular panel (1) for a cooling tower is disclosed, defining a longitudinal plane (1a) and a sagittal plane (1b), normal to the longitudinal plane (1a), crossing in a main axis (1c), first end edges (3) extending parallel to the main axis (1c) on opposite sides of panel (1) in respect of the sagittal plane (1b), second central edges (4) extending parallel to the main axis (1c) adjacent to the sagittal plane (1b) on opposite sides of panel (1) in respect of the sagittal plane (1b), wherein the panel extends on the longitudinal plane (1a) in a corrugated way, so as to make fins (2) recurrent along the main axis (1c), arranged in two rows (1) symmetrical to said sagittal plane (1b), extending along corresponding secondary axes (2a), transversal to the main axis (1c) and mutually parallel, each fin comprising at least a top crest (20) more spaced from the longitudinal plane (1a) when compared with the remnant part of fin (2), and each defining a first end (21) at the first edge (3) and a second end (22) at the second edge (4), wherein each fin (2) comprises a protuberance (5) protruding transversally to the longitudinal plane (1a) starting form the crest (20) at least at each end (21, 22).

A genre of media is presented for use with a reactor vessel and for the purpose of immobilizing small particles, often catalytic in nature. The media can include a number of ferromagnetic active wafers stacked together and separated by non-ferromagnetic separator portions, such that when in the presence of a magnetic field and magnetic-particle-containing fluid, at least some of the gaps between active wafers captures and suspends magnetic particles.