Abstract: A fluid contacting apparatus is constructed by coiling a ribbed, net-like material into a cylindrical core which is then placed in a retaining vessel through which fluids flow.

Abstract: Disclosed is a random packing element for use in exchange process apparatus, for example. The packing element features boughed strips and projections to provide an abundant supply of liquid flow surfaces, drip points and gas flow-through passages to enhance the interfacing of fluids in the exchange process packing bed.

Abstract: A random media member for a rotating biological contactor. The media member has a concave hemispherical shaped body with an inner tube with radial plate like ribs and an outer tube with radial plate like ribs, all molded together as an integral part. In one embodiment, a hollow cylinder is molded to the outside of the body. In another embodiment, parallel spaced legs are substituted for the outer cylinder. The tubes and ribs provide surfaces for bacteria to attach.

Abstract: This invention relates to an assembly comprising a first corrugated sheet and a second generally planar sheet. The corrugations form alternating apices on opposite sides and equidistant from a central major plane in the first sheet, where the apices are connected by angled walls. The second sheet has a central major plane which is generally parallel to the central major plane of the first sheet. The second sheet has complementary regions disposed in overlapping adjacent complementary relation to, and abutting the apices of, the first sheet. The second sheet has undulating regions disposed between the complementary regions, where the undulating regions alternate above and below the central major plane of the second sheet.

Abstract: An immmersible biological filter apparatus and method for the purification of waste water is disclosed. The apparatus has bacterial supports comprising at least two holding members and an assembly of skeins, wherein each skein comprises bands of plastic material disposed in a spiral arrangement around and between said holding members, thereby providing a substantial filter surface area on said bands between said members, wherein said bands are essentially continuous.

Abstract: A biological reactor and media members wherein the reactor is made up of a hollow drum having end shields with openings in the drum periphery so that liquid can flow through the drum periphery. The drum is supported by outwardly extending shafts attached to end shields and no shaft section is disposed inside the drum. Hemispherical shaped hollow media members with internal ribs are supported in the drum for bacteria to form on and legs are attached to the outside of the hollow media members to engage other media members and thus, providing further agitation. About forty percent (40%) of the drum is disposed in the liquid.

Abstract: This invention relates to a method for decreasing the pressure drop in a column used for contacting at least one gaseous stream and at least one liquid stream, wherein a portion of the pressure drop across the column is caused by foam. The method comprises injecting a non-foamable liquid into the gaseous stream at a location, in an amount, and at a temperature which are sufficient to decrease the total pressure drop across the column.

Abstract: Packing elements of the Pall ring type having improved resistance to crushing even though made from thinner gauge metal can be obtained by providing attachment means that hold overlapping ends of the ring together and resist deformation.

Abstract: The separation process and apparatus is based on conducting the explosive gas or vapour through a mass transfer column which is charged with an absorbent and filled with an electrically conductive packing. The packing (2) of the mass transfer column (1) must be earthed and have such a dense lattice spacing that no electric charge sufficient for ignition can accumulate at any point in the packing. Under these conditions, a non-conductive electrostatically chargeable liquid may be used as absorption liquid.

Abstract: Metal strips are provided which can be bent into the shape of cylindrical packing elements of the Lessing or Pall ring type. These strips have one end bent back at an acute angle to the rest of the strip and have slots cut into the strip in the vicinity of the bend. At the opposed end tabs are provided that engage with the slots when the strip is formed into a cylinder so as to hold the ends together. Such packing elements have a much greater resistance to crushing than conventional elements and can be made of much thinner metal.

Abstract: Mass transfer elements with an essentially four-lobed cylindrical configuration are particularly effective random dumped packing elements for mass transfer towers, providing a combination of high surface area and low pressure drop.

Abstract: A packed mass transfer tower for establishing intimate gas/liquid contact and efficient mass transfer that is less susceptible to gas or liquid channeling, gas surging and uneven distribution of gas or liquid across the cross-sectional area of the tower. The packed tower includes a packing arrangement including a lower bed of mobile packing elements, and an adjacent upper bed of fixed packing elements. The packed bed of fixed packing elements acts as a gas distributor, as well as causing good gas/liquid contact, to provide an even flow of gas across essentially the entire cross-sectional area of the packed bed of mobile packing elements.

Abstract: A method for the fractional distillation of a mixture of at least two compounds with different boiling points, a rising flow of vapor is brought into intimate contact with a descending flow of liquid obtained within a column (1) by the partial condensation of the flow of vapor itself by heat exchange with a cooled surface which extends through a filling (37).

Abstract: An improved filtration system for an aquarium having a water-filled habitation area with the water being aerated and circulated. The filtration system comprises a perforated platform adapted to be placed on a bottom surface of the aquarium and covered by a layer of porous material. The platform and the bottom surface define a subspace therebetween, and perforations admit water that circulates between the habitation area and the subspace. A hollow column, having an interior in fluid communication with the subspace, and carrying water circulating therethrough, extends through the platform and at its terminus discharges the circulating water back into the aquarium. A plurality of media elements, located in the column, each has a large surface area portion that is exposed to the circulating water.

Abstract: A catalytic distillation system is provided having a first component which is a particulate catalyst useful for carrying out the desired chemical reaction and a second component which is a hollow geometric shape having openings through the outer surface to allow gas and liquid to pass therethrough. The two components are mixed to provide the desired open space and loaded into a distillation column reactor. The hollow geometric shapes provides the spacing, while the openings permit the gas and liquid to flow through, thus providing the requisite vapor liquid contact space and surfaces.

Abstract: In a process for contacting gas and liquid, gas and liquid are simultaneously passed through a layer of irregularly shaped pieces of foamed plastic material having diameters in a range between 1 mm and 50 mm. Since the gas and the liquid are passed through a contact region filled with particles of foamed plastic material, persistence of fine bubbles is increased due to the generation of flow turbulence preferably combined with high pressure. Further, the foamed plastic particles have a low specific weight and is highly durable, it can be used for an extended period of time without losing its processing capability.

Abstract: An immersible filling body for the biological treatment of sewage stored in the basins of sewage treatment plants, aerated ponds and lagoons. The filling body is comprised of vertical channels for conducting the flow of a gas-liquid mixture. Each channel includes a central portion of substantially constant cross sectional area and two outer portions of variable cross sectional areas in order to produce a more vigorous communication between both the liquid and the gas and the liquid and the channel walls.

Abstract: A contact body for a cooling tower in which water to be cooled is distributed from the top of the contact body and in which cooling air flows through the contact body in a cross current and/or counter current flow relative to the water flow, is comprised of a plurality of tubular lattice-type plastic bodies that are assembled to form a packaged element such that respective outer mantle surfaces of the tubular plastic bodies contact one another. The tubular plastic bodies are cut to length from a continuously manufactured endless tube that is formed of crossing stays. The cut length of the tubular plastic bodies corresponds to a selected dimension of the contact body, i.e., the height or width of the contact body. The ends of the tubular plastic bodies on at least one side of the packaged element are connected to one another, preferably by fusing.

Abstract: A new tower packing element intended for randomly dumped packed beds. The new tower packing consists essentially of at least two substantially straight legs which are attached tangentially to the ends of an arcuately bent surface. The straight legs contain slots. Tongues either associated with the slots or independent of the slots point away from these substantially straight legs. The arcuately bent portion is free of slots and tongues.

Abstract: A vapor-liquid contacting device comprises: a spherical cage having a movable disk located inside. A weight piece is attached to the disk. The center of gravity of the weight piece is located on the axis of the disk. During the operation of a packed tower, the upward force of the vapor flow will cause the weight piece to seek the lowest position inside the cage, and the disk will end up in the horizontal position. As the liquid falls on the top of the disk, it would be spread and fall around the edge of the disk to form a liquid curtain. As the liquid cascades down the tower, it would be spread laterally and achieve a good liquid distribution and a good vapor-liquid contact.

Abstract: A chemical reactor comprises packing media which promotes plug flow through the reactor. The packing media comprises a plurality of stacked plates, each plate comprising an array of upwardly protruding dimples separated by downwardly protruding dimples. The plates are stacked with the down dimples lying above the up dimples of the plates below to thereby form rows of compartments. The up dimples comprise four transfer ports to provide even flow of fluid from a compartment in one row to each of the adjacent compartments in the adjacent rows. The method achieves plug flow in the reactor and causes two fluids to mix by the use of turbulence and shear at each transfer port.

Abstract: The invention relates to packing material for use in the cultivation of anchorage-dependent cells, which require a solid surface for proliferation. The packing material of the invention is provided in the form of units of curved sheet material, which individual units generally have a thickness of about 0.05 mm to 0.25 mm, the other dimensions being of the order of one to a few millimeter maximum dimensions. Various shapes can be used, such as twisted rectangles, segments of cylinders, convulated ribbons, twisted shapes, ring shape and the like.

Abstract: A regular economically producible packing of use in chemical engineering equipment is described. Physico-chemical phenomena in thermal separating and mixing apparatuses in particular are associated with contacts between different phases in cocurrent and countercurrent operation. The important feature of an appropriate packing design is to intensify transverse mixing in the flowing phases and to intensify contact between them. This purpose is served in the packing according to the invention not only by known fan-like vane elements but also by a number of channels rows which are parallel to one another and offset from one another, the effect of such rows being to boost transverse mixing and phase contact of the flowing media, more particularly when the lighter phase flows at elevated speed.

Abstract: The invention relates to a packing (2) for a material and heat exchange column (1), in which a gas phase and a liquid phase are brought into contact with one another, said packing comprising a multiplicity of identical packing elements (4) which are substantially in the form of a circular hollow cylinder whose annularly extending wall (6) is outwardly concave and inwardly convex and forms two outer edges (11) extending therearound, said hollow cylinder having a high ratio of outside diameter (D) to height (H). In order to reduce the pressure drop and to increase capacity and effectiveness, provision is made for the packing (2) to consist of a multiplicity of superimposed layers (3) of packing elements (4) which lie flat, are distributed randomly in each layer (3), and internally have a free passage cross-section, and in which the ratio of outside diameter (D) to height (H) is from about 6:1 to about 10:1.

Abstract: A saddle-type random packing element for use in a vapor-liquid tower which packing comprises an arcuate body having generally parallel, upright flanges on either side, the arcuate body having a plurality of alternating, generally parallel, inner and outer arched rib elements extending transversely between the flanges. The method of manufacture of the packing element comprises slitting a flat metal sheet to form rib elements, bending the sheet to form the upright flanges, the arched rib elements and then into the arcuate shape of the packing.

Abstract: The present invention comprises a trickle filter media which maximizes wastewater contact with both sides of the media sheet. The media comprises a corrugated sheet, where the corrugations run vertically. Within the valley of each corrugation is a protuberance which effectively blocks off the cross-sectional area of the valley, to falling liquid. The protuberance is rounded such that once the liquid contacts the sheet, surface tension will cause it to remain in contact with the sheet until it reaches the bottom end of the sheet. The protuberance is extended from each side of the sheet to block off alternating valleys on opposite sides of the corrugated sheet. For structural stability, these protuberances are staggered vertically along the sheet and include reinforcing ribs.

Abstract: A packing element for enhancing contact between a fluid having a predominant direction of flow and a second fluid, including: a plurality of layers, each layer having a generally flat portion disposed generally in a plane aligned with the direction of flow and having a plurality of fluid deflection surfaces that project from the plane, the deflection surfaces being oriented obliquely to the direction of flow in a manner selected to impart to different portions of liquid flowing on one side of the layer different components of momentum at different angles to the direction of flow, and to cause those different fluid portions to meet on that side of the layer in a region of the flat portion with a tendency to cancel the momentum components; the deflection surface on each layer are arranged to cause portions of the liquid flowing on one side of each layer to be transferred to another side of that layer and mixed with fluid flowing on the other side; and the layers are disposed adjacent to each other so that some

Abstract: A liquid cooling tower construction incorporates a tower fill assembly with liquid contact plates. The liquid contact plates interconnect in abutting relation utilizing mating support and releasable latch elements on the abutting sides of adjoining liquid contact plates. Thus, in each tier level, the liquid contact plates making up that tier level are effectively locked together but in a manner which enables the individual liquid contact plates to be detachably separated and removed whenever necessary.

Abstract: A liquid cooling tower construction incorporates a tower fill assembly with liquid contact plates. The liquid contact plates interconnect in abutting relation utilizing slidable clamp members which engage locking ribs on the abutting sides of adjoining liquid contact plates. Thus, in each tier level, the liquid contact plates making up that tier level are effectively locked together but in a manner which enables the individual liquid contact plates to be detachably separated and removed whenever necessary.

Abstract: A packing element having a cylindrical outer cover (11) with at least one guiding surface (16, 20, 21) of holohedral construction and dividing the outer cover (11) into several subspaces (19). The outer cover (11) has web ribs (12), running in the longitudinal direction of the cover, and annular ribs (13), running perpendicularly to the web ribs, thus forming approximately square net openings (14).

Abstract: A tower packing cartridge is formed of strips of fabric-like material placed in face-to-face contact such that the planes of the strips are parallel to the general flow direction through the cartridge. The fabric-like material is formed of generally straight, relatively stiff strands of mono-filament material, arranged in a repeating pattern which is preferably generally triangular in cross section in both directions. The construction provides a substantially non-nestable structure when strips are placed in face-to-face contact, such that the cartridge has an extremely high void fraction. The fabric-like material, in itself known, when assembled in this manner, achieves unique and surprising results in relation to exceptional uniformity of flow distribution across the entire face of the cartridge while at the same time maintaining extremely high void fraction to keep energy losses at a minimum during operation.

Abstract: A packing for a liquid-vapor contact column is provided which comprises metallic sheets defining liquid-vapor passages and having at least one wettable surface comprised of a coating of porous metal. The sheets are perforated to permit vapor to pass between them. The porous metal coating is formed by spraying a particulate mixture of metal and a plastics material onto the sheet to form a coating of plastics particles embedded in metal and then heating to volatilize the plastic thereby forming porosity in the metal coating.

Abstract: Disclosed is a process for treating waste water containing high levels of organic waste products which employs a series of chambers through which the water flows with the upstream chambers promoting anaerobic digestion of the waste products and the downstream chambers promoting aerobic digestion of the waste products. The upstream chambers are charged with a sludge preferably which, because of the conditions maintained within the chamber, has an ash-like characteristic upon being dried and does not contain high levels of water included within it. It is sometimes desirable to recharge the chamber with sludge since this sludge acts as a buffer that can digest shock loads of waste products having a high chemical oxygen demand. The chambers include water circulators which stir the water within the chambers and the downstream chambers having floating on the water surface high surface area media which carries bacteria. Preferably the water flows through the downstream aerobic chamber in a carousel-like fashion.

Abstract: A spherical packing element for biological film processes which is formed of a flat circular base plate having a central, throughgoing opening therein, a flat and imperforate disk reinforcing plate extending along the opening and lying in a plane perpendicular to the base plate and a plurality of spaced apart, imperforate and mutually parallel circular lamellae perpendicular to both plates, traversing the opening, and spaced apart in the direction of the diameter. The packing element has a surface area of at least 250 m.sup.2 /m.sup.3, and wall thickness of the plates and lamellae are 0.1-2 mm.

Abstract: A column packing has a multiplicity of generally horizontal superposed layers each of which is provided with adjacent pyramidal formations with open pyramidal sides so that at alternating junctions, the flow through the packing layer receives a rotational impetus in opposite senses. The vectoral sums of the rotation cancel out although the local vorticity ensures intimate mixings of the fluids. The pyramids may have triangular, square or rectangular bases and the apexes of an adjacent layer may coincide with the junctions of the bases of the next layer.

Abstract: A packing element comprising a peripheral sidewall defining an interior space having a central, longitudinal axis; a plurality of holes in the sidewall each having at least two sides, slanted relative to the axis; and a flap extending from at least one of the slanted sides of each of the holes inwardly into the space.

Abstract: Trickling sheet (2) comprising in the direction of its first side or base (3) a first zone which is greatly corrugated (5) and a second zone which is slightly corrugated or flat (6), of equal width, these zones being provided with spacer bosses (7) at the two sides of the sheet, the mean plane of the second zone or the plane of the flat zone (6) being offset in such a manner that the tops of the bosses (7) of one of the two faces of the sheet are co-planar. An assembly of such sheets juxtaposed with one another by turning one sheet out of two through 180.degree. about the median line (9) separating the two zones constitutes a packing element with rectilinear channels, without obstacles or awkward recesses or bottlenecks.

Abstract: A refrigerant recovery device comprises a pressure vessel filled with packings, such as Berl saddles, that provide a large surface area for mass transfer. The vessel is partly filled with a refrigeration-quality oil. The pressure vessel is mounted on a stand and pivoted so that it can easily be inverted periodically for coating the packing material with the oil. A flexible hose connects the vessel with a refrigeration or air conditioning unit, and a shut off valve is provided as is a check valve which prevents out flow of oil from the vessel. The oil in the vessel absorbs the refrigerant, and causes its partial pressure in the vessel to be reduced, so that refrigerant vapor flows from the refrigeration or air conditioning unit into the vessel. After the refrigerant has been absorbed, the valve can be closed, and the vessel returned to a central site for reclamation.

Abstract: A packing element 70, 94, 112 for an evaporative cooler, which comprises an apertured, corrosion resistant structure which includes a sheet of expanded metal. The metal is preferably of a ferritic corrosion resistant material such as 3Cr12. The invention also provides for a method of packing an evaporative cooler which includes using, in a single packing 68 for an evaporative cooler, packing elements 94 having a configuration suited to cross-flow conditons and, in addition, packing elements 70 having a configuration suited to counter-flow conditions. The invention provides further for a method of supporting a packing 68 having a trickle pack configuration, in a wet cooling tower 40.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for oxygenating water in an aquaculture system without adding nitrogen or other possibly harmful gases. A columnar housing floats in the aquaculture pond on a float ring with a submersible pump immersed in the pond. The pump draws in water and pumps it to the top of an oxygenation chamber which is packed with a surface expansion medium. The oxygenation chamber is filled with oxygen which is transferred to the water falling through the chamber. The oxygenated water is returned to the pond through outlet ports at the bottom of the oxygenation chamber. A cover on the column can be removed at times to allow infiltration of air for aeration of the water.

Abstract: The regular packing element is formed by layers of inclined deflecting elements. The deflecting elements are arranged in criss-crossing relation to each other and provide continuous flow channels which are open at both ends. In addition, the flow channels are open laterally to the flow channels of the adjacent layers of the deflecting elements. The packing provides for an improved and accelerated mass transfer between two media flowing through the packing in countercurrent.

Abstract: An expanded metal random packing for use in gas-liquid or liquid-liquid contact devices, which packing comprises: a longitudinal strip of expanded metal characterized by a plurality of generally uniformly disposed and defined spaces, the spaces defined by a plurality of struts hav ing a one and an other end, and the ends of said longitudinal strip disposed inwardly about a vertical axis to form a partial or fully enclosed body of an expanded metal random packing.

Abstract: This invention is a packing for use in a packed tower. The packing has four axes and six webs and is symmetrical around each axes. The packing is of a geometrical configuration that with one of the axes pointing downwardly and the other three axes pointing upwardly and above the downwardly pointing axes the fluid can flow towards the center of the packing into an opening at its center. In the configuration with the three axes pointing downwardly and the one axis pointing upwardly the fluid is directed away from the center of the packing and flows off of the webs. With this geometrical configuration the flow of the fluid is evenly distributed throughout the packed bed.

Abstract: A method and manufacturing blank for the production of high performance substantially symmetrical open volumed packing bodies is disclosed comprising the steps of forming a blank from sheet material, the blank comprising a plurality of generally identical plates interconnected in linear series by ribbon members coupling adjacent plates and defining a median strip, shaping the plates into troughs having longitudinal axes oriented perpendicularly to the median strip, and bending the median strip to bring the longitudinal axes into close proximity with one another to form an open volumed packing body having a central core defined by the aligned bores.

Abstract: A filling or packing body has an annular cell structure. All walls surrounding each cell are normal to the main plane along which the annular structure extends. Dividing walls between the cells transverse to an outer wall closed upon itself are parallel with each other at least for a row of adjacent cells or for all of them. The ring constituted by the row of cells having the outer wall in common can be of round, in particular of circular or elliptic configuration, or its configuration can be polygonal, especially triangular. The height of the cell walls, normal to the main plane, can be constant or it can be higher at the center than at the periphery of the ring structure.

Abstract: The invention relates to plastic packing for biological treatment of fluids, comprising a series of plates packed without the use of adhesive, provided with convex and concave ribs wherein inclined channels with corrugated side-walls are arranged between the adjacent sheets. The sheets are formed by M-profiles, the joining lines and centerlines of the M-profiles are unbroken in the full height of the packing and are at a maximum 30.degree. to the vertical, furthermore the corrugated parts are ribbed surfaces formed only on the shanks of the M-profiles, so that a flat strip without ribs is on both sides of the joining lines of the profiles. According to one of the versions, the plastic sheets are joined opposite each other, so that the shanks of M-profiles end in a point of junction.

Abstract: An efficient low pressure drop packing element for exchange columns is made up of a plurality of preformed vertical sheets, each having a plurality of inclined rows of adjacent relatively short inclined troughs including valleys and ridges extending between upper inlet edges and lower outlet drip edges and projecting alternately outwardly from one side and then the opposite side of the median plane of each sheet. The sheets are arranged so that the inclined rows of the troughs in adjacent sheets are oppositely inclined and in criss-crossing relation to the inclined rows of the adjacent sheet of the packing element causing frequent changes in direction of liquid flow and whereby the both sides of each sheet are more easily and uniformly wetted by the frequently diverted liquid flowing downwardly over the surface thereof.

Abstract: A packing device includes a series of identical vertically corrugated streaming sheets. Each streaming sheet includes, in succession, in a direction parallel to the crests of the corrugations, at least two regions, namely a region of corrugations having a first amplitude and a region of corrugations having a smaller amplitude, which are interconnected by a transition region. Each streaming sheet has an even number of regions of corrugations in phase opposition with respect to the adjacent region of corrugations and each streaming sheet has, in each transition region and in two longitudinal lateral regions, a series of bosses, having flat heads which project alternately from one side and the other of the streaming sheet in phase with the region of corrugations having the first amplitude which is adjacent and/or in phase opposition with respect to the adjacent region of corrugations of smaller amplitude.

Abstract: An improved packing body for use in packed columns which is formed of a longitudinally extending central core from which a plurality of web members generally radially extend. The web members are in substantially axial alignment with the core and are formed of a plurality of open cellular units. The packing body provides a maximal amount of wettable surface area and drip formation points with a minimum of obstruction to fluid flow within a packed column.

Abstract: The invention relates to a packing device for an installation for the biological treatment of waste waters, of the type comprising an assembly of sheets (1) having corrugations and separated by flat sheets (2), said corrugated sheets (1) defining, in conjunction with the flat sheets (2), channels (7;8) which extend from top to bottom, and in which the waste water trickles countercurrently to an oxygen-containing gas. This device is characterized in that the crests of the corrugations have crenellations (9) which in conjunction with the adjacent flat sheet (2) bound passages establishing communication between two channels (7, 7 or 8, 8) lying on the same side of a corrugated sheet.