The invention relates to a lining (10) intended to be positioned inside a chamber (1) to promote contact between fluids circulating inside said chamber, said lining comprising a plurality of separate criss-crossing strips (12): —first strips (12.1i) parallel to a first direction (D1) and defining a plurality of first planes spaced apart from each other, —second strips (12.2i) parallel to a second direction (D2) forming an angle with the first direction (D1) and defining a plurality of second planes spaced apart from each other. In each first plane, a free space separates two first adjacent strips I a direction perpendicular to the first direction and receives a second strip, the first and second strips being secured together. Each separate strip of at least one stage is perforated (12) and selected from a strip made from a stamped metal sheet and a strip made from an expanded metal sheet.

A contactor includes a random packing arrangement in several compartments. The compartments can be delimited by perforated plates or by structured packing walls. A heat and/or material exchange column is equipped with such a contactor. A floating structure includes such a column. A column equipped with such a contactor can be used for a gas treatment, CO.sub.2 capture, distillation or air conversion process.

The invention relates to packed contact devices used in heat/mass exchange column apparatuses in which the processes of rectification, distillation, absorption, and extraction are run, and can be applied in the oil refining, petrochemical, chemical, gas-processing, and food-manufacturing industries. A contact device for carrying out heat/mass exchange and separation of phases in sectional cross-flow packed columns in gas/liquid and liquid/liquid systems comprises a plurality of identical contact elements assembled one upon another in one or more rows in blocks held together by spokes and vertical posts, with formation of walls in the column body that are restricted on horizontal end faces by horizontal segmental baffles conjugated in an arc with the column body; thereat, arranged between the walls are liquid distributors having a perforated part, an additional baffle, deflector plates, and vertical support plates. The space between the lower and upper walls is sealed by means of battens.

The present invention describes a packing with a three-dimensional structure which is particularly suited to creating homogenous and anisotropic mixing between the gas phase and a dispersed solid phase moving in counter-current flow. Application of this packing to the stripper of fluidized catalytic cracking units.

A structured packing bed for a column is provided. The structured packing bed comprises at least two layers stacked vertically above each other, and at least two of the layers each comprise at least one structured cross-channel packing element having a specific surface area of 60 to 500 m.sup.2/m.sup.3 and a height of 50 to less than 150 mm. At least 50% of the structured cross-channel packing elements are a block comprising a plurality of sheets with periodic deformations. The sheets are arranged in a longitudinal direction parallel and in touching contact with each other such that an open space is provided between them. Adjacent sheets are oriented such that their deformations intersect in crisscross fashion with each other, and a structured cross-channel packing element of a layer is rotated with regard to a structured cross-channel packing element of an adjacent layer by 70 to 110°.

A packing system includes a first packing element layer including a plurality of blades and a second packing element layer including a plurality of blades. The packing system includes intra-layer variation and/or inter-layer variation. Intra-layer variation includes (i) varying spacing between blades within the first and/or the second packing element layer, (ii) varying sizes of the blades within the first and/or the second packing element layer, and/or (iii) varying angle of inclination of the blades within the first and/or second packing element layer. Inter-layer variation includes the blades of the first packing layer having a first spacing, a first size and a first angle of inclination, and the blades of the second packing layer having a second spacing, a second size, and a second angle of inclination. The second spacing, size, and/or angle of inclination is different from the first spacing, size, and/or angle of inclination.

A catalytic reactor includes: a reaction-side flow channel in which a reaction fluid flows; structured catalysts accommodated in the reaction-side flow channel. Each structured catalyst includes inclined surfaces in at least part of each of two surfaces facing other structured catalysts. The inclined surfaces are inclined in the same direction with respect to an arrangement direction of the structured catalysts.

A packing system includes a first packing element layer including a plurality of blades and a second packing element layer including a plurality of blades. The packing system includes intra-layer variation and/or inter-layer variation. Intra-layer variation includes (i) varying spacing between blades within the first and/or the second packing element layer, (ii) varying sizes of the blades within the first and/or the second packing element layer, and/or (iii) varying angle of inclination of the blades within the first and/or second packing element layer. Inter-layer variation includes the blades of the first packing layer having a first spacing, a first size and a first angle of inclination, and the blades of the second packing layer having a second spacing, a second size, and a second angle of inclination. The second spacing, size, and/or angle of inclination is different from the first spacing, size, and/or angle of inclination.

A catalytic reactor includes: a reaction-side flow channel in which a reaction fluid flows; a structured catalyst removably located in the reaction-side flow channel; and a protrusion formed in the structured catalyst or an inner surface of the reaction-side flow channel, having a height forming a clearance between the structured catalyst and the inner surface of the reaction-side flow channel.

The present invention describes a packing with a three-dimensional structure which is particularly suited to creating homogenous and anisotropic mixing between the gas phase and a dispersed solid phase moving in counter-current flow. Application of this packing to the stripper of fluidized catalytic cracking units.