The present invention relates to high efficient tubular catalytic steam reforming reactor configured from about 0.2 inch to about 2 inch inside diameter high temperature metal alloy tube or pipe and loaded with a plurality of rolled catalyst inserts comprising metallic monoliths. The catalyst insert substrate is formed from a single metal foil without a central supporting structure in the form of a spiral monolith. The single metal foil is treated to have 3-dimensional surface features that provide mechanical support and establish open gas channels between each of the rolled layers. This unique geometry accelerates gas mixing and heat transfer and provides a high catalytic active surface area. The small diameter, high aspect ratio tubular catalytic steam reforming reactors loaded with rolled catalyst inserts can be arranged in a multi-pass non-vertical parallel configuration thermally coupled with a heat source to carry out steam reforming of hydrocarbon-containing feeds. The rolled catalyst inserts are self-supported on the reactor wall and enable efficient heat transfer from the reactor wall to the reactor interior, and lower pressure drop than known particulate catalysts. The heat source can be oxygen transport membrane reactors.

A packing module for use in a mass transfer column has a plurality of packing elements positioned in an upright, parallel relationship to each other. Each packing element has a plurality of side-by-side and parallel longitudinal rows of arched outer rib elements that are connected at opposite ends to spaced apart side strips. The outer rib elements project outwardly in opposite directions from the side strips. In an upper edge region and a lower edge region at least one of the side strips in each longitudinal row converges toward the other side strip. The convergence of the side strips causes a reduction in length and outward projection of the outer rib elements that are connected at opposite ends to the converging side strips. The longitudinal rows of outer rib elements in adjacent packing elements are arranged in crisscrossing relationship to each other.

A packing element has components that form snap-lock connections with like packing elements used to form a contact assembly. The packing elements can be readily and easily assembled together using little force by connecting the packing elements with connectors in a snap-lock manner. The packing elements are retained by the snap-lock connectors in the contact assembly such that the packing elements cannot be separated without such force that the material forming at least one of components of the snap-lock connections or the packing element will fail to the extent that a contact assembly made using the packing elements would not be functional.

A structured cross-channel packing element for a column for at least one of mass transfer and heat exchange between a heavy fluid phase and a light fluid phase. The structured cross-channel packing element comprises at least two adjacent layers made of expanded metal sheets each comprising openings that are surrounded and separated from each other by separating elements. At least two of layers are arranged in a longitudinal direction parallel and in touching contact with each other such that an open space extending from one end to an opposite end of the layers is provided between the layers such that at least one of the heavy fluid phase and the light fluid phase may flow therethrough. A ratio between an average width of at least 50% of the separating elements between adjacent ones of the openings and a sheet material thickness is at least 15.

A contactor media includes continuous surface segments, wherein a first continuous surface segment has at least 50% of its surface area follow at least one of: (a) a contour of a first zero-thickness surface having a Gaussian curvature (G.sub.c) of 400 mm.sup.2G.sub.c<0.01 mm.sup.2; and (b) a contour of a second zero-thickness surface having at least one principal curvature (k.sub.i) of 20 mm.sup.1k.sub.i<0.1 mm.sup.1; and wherein the first continuous surface segment provides at least: (a) a total liquid hold-up of between about 1 kg/m.sup.3 to about 800 kg/m.sup.3 or (b) a static liquid hold-up of about 0.1 kg/m.sup.3 to about 800 kg/m.sup.3.