An apparatus for steam reforming of hydrocarbons is described including a steam reformer containing a plurality of externally-heated vertical tubes each tube having an inlet for a feed gas mixture including hydrocarbon and steam, and an outlet for a reformed gas mixture, wherein the tubes contain a particulate steam reforming catalyst adjacent the outlet and a structured steam reforming catalyst adjacent the inlet. A process for steam reforming of hydrocarbons using the apparatus is also described.

A structured packing module for crossflow applications is provided and includes a plurality of corrugated structured packing sheets positioned in an upright, parallel relationship to each other. The corrugations of adjacent structured packing sheets are in contact with each other and extend at a crossing angle. Apertures and raised ridges may be positioned on sidewalls of the corrugations. The structured packing module may be used in a crossflow contactor, such as in a process for removing carbon dioxide from air.

The invention relates to a packing assembly for a material exchange column, comprising at least one structured packing plate and a container in which the at least one structured packing plate is arranged. The at least one structured packing plate has packing packets. Each packing packet has interconnected packing sheets. The packing sheets are corrugated and have corrugation peaks and corrugation valleys. Adjacent packing sheets contact each other at the corrugation peaks. Additional corrugated packing sheets are added between the packing packets such that the at least one packing plate is pretensioned against the container in a radial direction thereof. Both the corrugated packing sheets of the packing packets as well as the additional corrugated packing sheet added between the packing packets are arranged solely on a common preferred plane or parallel thereto.

The invention relates to a method for blowing off gaseous contaminants from crude water in the production of drinking water, comprising the step of introducing the water to be treated to the top of a shielded aerator and letting it pass through stacks of tubular elements interspersed with perforated sheets, while subjected to counter current suction. In a second aspect a device is provided for blowing off gaseous contaminants from crude water according to said method.

A cross-corrugated structured packing element is provided for use in mass transfer or heat exchange columns. The packing element has a plurality of packing layers positioned in an upright, parallel relationship to each other and including corrugations formed of alternating peaks and valleys and corrugation sidewalls extending between the peaks and valleys. The packing element also includes a plurality of apertures each presenting an open area. The apertures are distributed such that the corrugation sidewalls have a greater density of open areas than any density of the open areas that may be present in the peaks and valleys. Some of the apertures may be present in the peaks and the valleys to facilitate liquid distribution. The apertures may also be placed in rows or other patterns that are aligned in a direction along a longitudinal length of the corrugations. Regions with a larger apex radius may be formed in the peaks, such as by depressing spaced-apart segments of the peaks to form spacers in the undepressed portions of the peaks. Some of the apertures may be positioned in the transitions from the depressed portions of the peaks to the unmodified apex sections.

A tower packing element (100), a tower packing (300), a packing tower, and a mixer comprising the tower packing element (100) are provided. The tower packing element (100) are manufactured by a deformed plate and comprises a plurality of strip assemblies (10) arranged along a longitudinal direction of the tower packing element (100) and a connecting plate portion (20) connected between adjacent strip assemblies (10). Each of the strip assemblies (10) defines a central passage (30) therein, and the central passage (30) is extended in a lateral direction of the tower packing element (100). The connecting plate portion (20) is extended along the lateral direction of the tower packing element (100). The adjacent strip assemblies (10) and the connecting plate portion (20) connected therebetween define a side passage (40) parallel to the central passage (30).

A tower packing element (100), a tower packing (300), a packing tower, and a mixer comprising the tower packing element (100) are provided. The tower packing element (100) are manufactured by a deformed plate and comprises a plurality of strip assemblies (10) arranged along a longitudinal direction of the tower packing element (100) and a connecting plate portion (20) connected between adjacent strip assemblies (10). Each of the strip assemblies (10) defines a central passage (30) therein, and the central passage (30) is extended in a lateral direction of the tower packing element (100). The connecting plate portion (20) is extended along the lateral direction of the tower packing element (100). The adjacent strip assemblies (10) and the connecting plate portion (20) connected therebetween define a side passage (40) parallel to the central passage (30).

An expandable center arrangement for a reactor is disclosed. The arrangement comprises an expansion tube; a center support inside the expansion tube and three or more spring elements. The spring elements are fastened to the center support and arc out to the expansion tube. A reactor is also disclosed.

Provided is an NMP recovery system 1 for causing NMP-containing gas to contact NMP-absorbing water, including: fillers (10A) to (10D) that are permeable to the water and hold the water, wherein the permeated water moves according to gravity to flow out from the fillers; an NMP-containing gas distribution unit (30) for distributing the NMP-containing gas so as to cause the NMP-containing gas to contact the water held by the fillers (10A) to (10D); and a water distribution unit (40) for distributing the water so as to make the water permeate through the fillers (10A) to (10D). In the fillers (10A) to (10D), the NMP-containing gas is made to contact the NMP-absorbing water. Accordingly, NMP in the NMP-containing gas is absorbed in the water, so that the NMP is separated from the NMP-containing gas.

A tower packing element, a tower packing, a packing tower, and a mixer comprising the tower packing element are provided. The tower packing element are manufactured by a deformed plate and comprises a plurality of strip assemblies arranged along a longitudinal direction of the tower packing element and a connecting plate portion connected between adjacent strip assemblies. Each of the strip assemblies defines a central passage therein, and the central passage is extended in a lateral direction of the tower packing element. The connecting plate portion is extended along the lateral direction of the tower packing element. The adjacent strip assemblies and the connecting plate portion connected therebetween define a side passage parallel to the central passage.