The present disclosure provides for organic solvent production via distillation and dehydration by: directing portions of a feed stream to a first and second distillation columns operating at a different pressures from each other, wherein the organic solvent is preferably an alcohol and more preferably ethanol; generating, in the first distillation column, a vaporous first overhead stream; directing the vaporous first overhead stream directly to a rectification system; generating, in the second distillation column, a vaporous second overhead stream; forming a condensed second overhead stream from the vaporous second overhead stream; directing, at least a portion of the condensed second overhead stream to the rectification system; generating, via the rectification system, a third overhead stream; directing at least a portion of the third overhead stream to a separation system; and generating, in the separation system, an enriched solvent stream.

A new and innovative power and treated water co-generation system is provided that includes a modified Kalina cycle and a forward osmosis (FO) membrane. The Kalina cycle of the provided system is used for power production, whereas the system's FO process is used for water production. The provided system modifies a typical Kalina cycle to include a more efficient and relatively low-temperature heat source, while still utilizing the same working fluid, which is ammonia-water. The draw solution for the provided system's FO process is also ammonia-water, which is known and efficient for desalination and wastewater treatment. In some aspects, the working fluid of the system may be a specific ammonia-water composition including between 30-95% ammonia. The presently disclosed system combines the Kalina process and the FO process into an improved and innovative heat integration system to minimize energy requirements and enable operation at both small and large scales.

A heat and mass transfer system configured to be a passive system using gravitational force to form a thin liquid film flow on an outer surface of a flow distribution head and downstream conduit member to subject the thin liquid film to heat transfer mediums. The at least partially spherical flow distribution head creates a uniform thin flow of liquid on the outer surface increasing the efficiency of the heat and mass transfer system. The heat and mass transfer system may include a heat transfer medium supply system in fluid communication with internal aspects of the downstream conduit such that a heat transfer medium flows within the downstream conduit while the liquid film flows on the outer surface of the downstream conduit. Rather than conventional sheet flow on inner surfaces of a conduit, the flow distribution head enables sheet flow to be formed on an outside surface of a component.

Described herein are systems and methods for the depolymerization of polyethylene-based plastics. In one embodiment, a method is disclosed that comprises combining a polyethylene-based plastic with a solvent in a reactor to generate a plastic solvent mixture, heating the plastic solvent mixture in the reactor, and fractionating the plastic solvent mixture into a gas phase product, a solid phase product, and a liquid phase product. In another embodiment, a system is disclosed that comprises a solvent, and a reactor configured to receive the polyethylene-based plastic and the solvent and convert the polyethylene-based plastic into a gas phase product, a solid phase product, and a liquid phase product, the reactor being configured to operate at a temperature greater than 275° C. and at a pressure greater than 2 megapascals.

A process for recovering by-products of a substituted aromatic hydrocarbon oxidation reaction, comprising cooling one or more of a vapor stream directed to a high-pressure absorber (380), a solvent-rich scrubbing stream (381) directed to a high-pressure absorber (380), and a water-rich liquid stream (383) directed to a solvent recovery zone, by heat exchange with a cooled spent scrubbing liquid withdrawn from a low-pressure scrubber (430).

The present disclosure provides high-grade ethanol production systems and methods that increase energy efficiency as compared to typical systems and methods by minimizing undesired acetal formation. The provided ethanol production method may include a low boilers removal distillation column and/or a stripper column constructed to simultaneously remove at least a portion of the acetaldehyde and at least a portion of the acetal from a feed stream in the presence of water. In some aspects, a low boilers removal process may be followed by a water removal process, which may be followed by a high boilers removal process. Acidity (e.g., carbon dioxide) may also be removed from a feed stream prior to or during the low boilers removal process. By minimizing acetal production, the provided method minimizes the amount of energy that is required to remove acetal when producing high-grade ethanol.

A supercapacitor having multiple graphene layers that are separated by separator layers. The graphene layers and the separator layers are enclosed within a housing that is filled with electrolyte

Described and represented is a glycol drying system with at least one wet glycol collection container and/or at least one glycol collection line to collect moist glycol, with at least one heating device to heat the moist glycol in the at least one wet glycol collection container and/or in the at least one glycol collection line and with a membrane separation system to separate the water from the heated, moist glycol. In order to reduce the operating costs, without having to accept disproportionate investment costs, it is provided that at least one flash gas vent is provided to remove flash gas driven out when the moist glycol is heated before separating the water in the membrane separation system and in that at least one combustion chamber is provided to combust the flash gas and to provide heat for the heating device.

Systems and methods are provided for improving the operation of a divided wall column for performing distillations. The systems and methods include using a separation stage in a fluid flow pathway for transporting an enriched intermediate stream from a first side of a dividing wall to a second side of a dividing wall. By using a separation stage, the benefit of transporting an enriched intermediate stream can be achieved without requiring precise knowledge of the local concentration profile on the first side of the dividing wall.

The present disclosure is in the field of ‘pharmacognosy’ and ‘chemistry of natural products’. The present disclosure generally relates to a process of isolation and purification of Biochemical Constituents from algae. The present disclosure particularly relates to a process of isolation and purification of Biochemical Constituents from a biomass of cyanobacteria. The present disclosure provides a process for isolating and extracting phycocyanins, chlorophylls, proteins and polysaccharides from the spirulina biomass.