Patent Description:
Chemical processing often involves an interaction between liquids and gases. In some cases, reactive gases may dissolve in reactive liquids, thus facilitating a desired reaction. A reacting liquid, gas, and/or the resultant chemical compounds produced during processing, may be unstable or produce poor yields unless an optimum temperature or temperature range is maintained. Temperature control may be a matter of efficiency to obtain high yields of products. Further, limiting retention time in a reaction zone may improve the chemical yield and selectivity in the synthesis of certain products.

In other cases, liquids and gases may exist in equilibration at the boiling/condensation point of the liquids or gases. In such a case, it is desirable that the liquids and gases do not react to form unwanted chemical compounds, either with other compounds in the mixture or by intramolecular thermal degradation. Rather, it is often desired that the gases and liquids interact to some degree to establish an equilibrium mixture between the elements or compounds found in gas phase and those within a liquid phase that are in contact with one another. The chemical composition of gas and liquid phases in equilibrium with one another are affected by differences in the volatility of different compounds within a mixture. It is possible to separate gases with different certain chemical compositions from liquids with other compositions that have been in contact with one another at their boiling point. Thus, with phase separation and subsequent condensation of the gas mixture, separate liquid mixtures will reflect the relative differences in volatility and condensation rates of the components contained in the mixtures.

Selective application of heat to the mixture permits collection of gas that includes a component fraction of interest having relatively higher volatility and with reduced concentrations of other compounds in the mixture that have higher boiling points. Fractional distillation is a type of distillation that uses a fractional distillation column to progressively alter gas and liquid compositions. Such a column may have a series of platforms or trays (actual or theoretical) upon which vapor ascending the column may condense and subsequently re-vaporize with liquid descending along a temperature gradient in the column. Progressive cycles of condensing and forming vapor increases the concentration of a more highly volatile component of interest in the gas that concentrates at the top of the column. In the alternative, a fractional distillation column may use internal packing rather than trays to provide surface area upon which vapor interacts with the liquid phase in the column to progressively condense and subsequently vaporize. Disclosures of devices that are used for evaporation are found in <CIT> and <CIT>.

The invention is defined in a device claim <NUM> and the associated method of claim <NUM>.

In claim <NUM>, a processing device includes an internal wall that forms an interior space and a rotating rod positioned within the interior space. The processing device also includes a plurality of baffles spaced apart from one another along the rotating rod and extending away from the rotating rod towards the internal wall, wherein the plurality of baffles are configured to rotate with the rotating rod relative to the internal wall. The processing device also includes at least one roller coupled to an edge of at least one of the plurality of baffles or coupled to the rotating rod, wherein the at least one wiper or roller contacts the internal wall, and wherein the at least one wiper or roller is configured to rotate with the rotating rod.

In claim <NUM>, a method includes the steps of providing a liquid having an initial percentage composition of a component to an interior space of a processing device, controlling a jacket temperature of the processing device to form vapor from the liquid in the interior space, wherein the vapor comprises the component of the liquid, and rotating a rotating assembly within the processing device and relative to the jacket to move the vapor and liquid within the interior space. Rotating the rod causes a plurality of rollers coupled to the rod to contact a film of the liquid on an interior wall of the jacket such that rotation of the rollers against the interior wall causes droplets of the liquid to move towards a center of the interior space. The method further includes condensing the vapor collected from the processing device to form a condensate to remove the component from the processing device, wherein the condensate has a second percentage composition of the component that is higher than the initial percentage composition of the component in the liquid.

In claims <NUM> and <NUM>, the processing device includes a heated or cooled jacket forming an interior space, the interior space being within an internal wall of the heated or cooled jacket. The processing device also includes a rod positioned within the interior space and configured to rotate about a first axis of rotation. The processing device also includes a plurality of baffles spaced apart from one another along the rod and extending away from the rod towards the internal wall, wherein the plurality of baffles are configured to rotate with the rod and relative to the internal wall and at least one roller coupled to the rod. An individual roller includes a bracket coupled to the rod or at least one baffle of the plurality of baffles and a roller coupled to the bracket, wherein the roller is in contact with the internal wall and configured to rotate against the internal wall during rotation of the rod about a second axis of rotation parallel to the first axis of rotation.

These described embodiments are only examples of the presently disclosed techniques. Additionally, in an effort to provide a concise description of these embodiments, all features of an actual implementation may not be described in the specification. Moreover, it should be appreciated that such a development effort might be complex and time consuming, but may nevertheless be a routine undertaking of design, fabrication, and manufacture for those of ordinary skill having the benefit of this disclosure.

The disclosed techniques may be used as part of a chemical processing technique, such as a separation process for separating components of a fluid or for at least partial purification or removal of one or more compounds of interest from a fluid (e.g., a liquid or liquid mixture). In one embodiment, the disclosed techniques may be used to separate one or more compounds that have a short half-life or that are thermally labile at temperatures/pressures close to their boiling points. In one embodiment, the disclosed techniques may be used in food processing or pharmaceutical synthesis techniques to reduce decomposition of desired products. In one embodiment, the present disclosure provides an improved processing device for processes involving heat-sensitive chemicals (thermally unstable and/or viscous), such as fatty acid esters, polyhydric alcohols, unsaturated oils, food additives, pheromones, reactive monomers, fragrances and flavors, small molecule compounds, sugars, sugar esters, carotenoids, etc., by employing a novel heat exchange device capable of enhanced separation of liquid-gas mixtures at elevated temperature and, in certain embodiments, under a reduced pressure/vacuum. In certain embodiments, the heat-sensitive chemicals may result from reactions with one or more of gases like ozone, F<NUM>, ketene, Cl<NUM>, SO<NUM>, H<NUM>, etc., introduced near the bottom outlet of the processing device while a liquid feed introduced at a higher level feed zone. The disclosed implementations are by way of example, and it should be understood that the present techniques may be applied to the reaction between gasses and liquids or the separation of mixtures including compounds with relative differences in volatility. The present techniques permit reaction or separation with reduced decomposition of heat-sensitive compounds under the temperatures used during processing. The present techniques also provide a specialized heat exchanger for a two phase system.

In one implementation, the processing device is a distillation device or a fractional distillation device. Distillation is a separation process that relies on differences in volatility to split a stream of two or more different molecules into partial component fractions. The degree of separation is often described by how many "theoretical plates" a column achieves. A theoretical plate is a theoretical zone or stage where liquid and vapor phases of a mixture establish equilibrium. The vapor-liquid equilibrium is a physical property of a mixture that determines the composition of the liquid and vapor phases at a fixed pressure and temperature. As vapor rises up the column and interacts with the liquid flowing down the column, including a liquid film that forms or is introduced onto the column walls, and/or with pooled liquid on surfaces inside the column, vapor-liquid equilibrium is established multiple times. The vapor is enriched with the lower boiling components, while the liquid is enriched with the higher boiling components. Vapor-liquid equilibrium is traditionally achieved by using either trays or packing in a distillation column. A tray forces the rising vapor through a pool of liquid, thus establishing equilibrium at each tray. Unlike trays, a packed column establishes equilibrium through a more continuous method. The liquid flowing down the column covers the packing in a thin film, allowing vapor to continuously interact with the liquid. A packed column relies on exposed surface area for efficient vapor-liquid contact.

The disclosed embodiments provide a processing device that facilitates repeated vapor-liquid interactions within the rotating assembly while reducing or minimizing temperature exposure for the components involved in the process. The reduction in temperature exposure and retention time in the heated zone relative to other distillation techniques results in decreased degradation of such heat-sensitive compounds while maintaining the separation benefits of thin film generation, which in turn permits fractional distillation to be used as a separation technique in a wider range of processes and/or with a wider range of mixtures. The processing device disclosed herein is suitable for the rectification of heat-sensitive compounds, which are complex to separate and may typically be purified using costly multi-step processes. In one embodiment, the processing device permits heat control or heat exchange by one or multiple heating zones or jackets to provide more progressive temperature control within the device (e.g., individually addressable temperature control in each zone), thus reducing exposure to degrading temperature levels. An external condenser above the heated zones is used to condense gas collected from the device and provides reflux return. The processing device may also be arranged with variable and/or multiple potential feed positions along a length of the device to provide variable temperature and vapor flow paths according to a desired workflow.

The processing device includes an internal rotating assembly that rotates baffles (e.g., helical baffles) to promote vapor movement within the device. The internal baffles extend the vapor path and enhance turbulence. The baffles may be operated with a rotation direction that is co-current or countercurrent to the vapor flow path. To accommodate the vapor flow rate and increase turbulence, the baffles may be helical or constructed with a variable flight spacing and/or pitch as provided herein. The baffles may be solid, perforated, or constructed from screens. Further, the baffles may be constructed such that edges of the baffles do not directly contact (e.g., with fixed clearance) the internal device wall during rotation or that intermittently contact the internal device wall. The baffles of the rotating assembly may be fixed clearance relative to the internal device walls. The rotating assembly includes one or more liquid film disrupters that are configured to directly contact the internal device walls to disrupt the liquid film, e.g. spray or move liquid drops into the interior space of the device and away from the walls, which in turn enhances liquid-vapor interactions. The liquid film disrupters include one or more scraped-surface rollers, which may be advantageous for less viscous liquids as well as for materials with very high fouling tendencies or vaporization ratios. In general, the more interaction between the vapor and liquid phases result in an increased vapor liquid equilibrium over the entire rotating assembly. Accordingly, the present techniques provide a processing device with one or more of the following features: (i) rotating helical baffle, (ii) condensate return, (iii) adjustable feed positioning on the device, (iv) internal condenser, and (v) turbulent mixing of the liquid film layer to create improved contact between the vapors and the condensate in the reboiler. The vertical configuration provides reliable, efficient processing of viscous and/or fouling fluids.

<FIG> is a schematic diagram of a system <NUM> that includes a processing device <NUM> in accordance with embodiments of the disclosure. It should be understood that the system <NUM> may be a component of a larger or more complex separation process and may be interconnected to additional components (e.g., one or more feed sources, heating elements, collection reservoirs, fluid couplings, control systems including processor-based controllers that respond to control inputs and outputs via an operator interface, vents, valves) depending on the desired workflow. That is, the processing device <NUM> may include one or more inlets to receive a stream of a material for processing (e.g., distillation) and may include one or more outlets or couplings to permit separated or processed materials (e.g., separated volatile and non-volatile components) to exit the processor device <NUM>. The processing device <NUM> is depicted as a column, but may be implemented having other appropriate dimensions (e.g. the diameter may be greater than the height). An internal wall <NUM> with an internal wall surface <NUM> of the processing device <NUM> bounds an interior space <NUM>. As discussed herein, the internal wall <NUM> may be configured to control temperature via a heat exchange fluid from a heat exchange fluid or vapor source <NUM> and may, in certain embodiments, be part of one or more temperature control jackets. The heat exchange fluid may provide temperature control, e.g., heating or cooling, depending on the temperature of the heat exchange fluid. In one embodiment, the processing device <NUM> does not include heat sources such as a bottom boiler positioned to drive heat and vapor up the device, which may provide more uneven heat exposure to and in turn may damage the processed components of interest.

The processing device <NUM> includes a rotating assembly <NUM> with a rod <NUM> coupled to a motor <NUM> that drives rotation of the rod <NUM> within the processing device <NUM> and about an axis of rotation <NUM>. The motor <NUM> may be internal or external to the processing device <NUM>. Rotation of the rotating assembly <NUM> may occur while other structures, such as the internal wall <NUM>, of the processing device <NUM> are substantially fixed or do not rotate. The rotating assembly may be coupled to other features of the device <NUM> and/or system <NUM> via a rotary union. As provided herein, in certain embodiments, the rod <NUM> may include an interior passage or bore fluidically coupled to the heat exchange fluid source <NUM> and configured to receive the heat exchange fluid such that the rod <NUM>, additionally or alternatively the internal wall <NUM>, act as a heat exchanger. Accordingly, the processing device <NUM> may include one or more heat exchange surfaces to control a temperature within the device <NUM>. The heat exchange surfaces may include the internal wall surface <NUM>, which is a stationary surface, and a rod surface <NUM>, which in operation is a rotating surface. One or both of the heat exchange surfaces and associated fluidic couplings may be included in the implementation of the device <NUM>. Further, when present, one or both of the heat exchange surfaces may be active in providing heat exchange, depending on the desired specifications of temperature control. In one example, the available heat exchange surface of the internal wall surface <NUM> (the surface area facing the interior space <NUM>) is greater than the available heat exchange surface of the rod surface <NUM> (the rod surface area facing the interior space <NUM> of the device <NUM>). The ratio of the wall surface area to the rod surface area may be approximately <NUM>:<NUM> to <NUM>:<NUM>.

The rotating assembly <NUM> also includes a plurality of baffles <NUM> coupled to the rod <NUM> and that rotate together with the rod <NUM>. The rotating assembly <NUM> may include any number of baffles <NUM>, depending on the overall length and/or volume of the interior space <NUM> of the processing device <NUM>. Each individual baffle <NUM> may be integrally formed with the rod <NUM> or may be adhered to (e.g., heat bonded to) the rod <NUM>. Whether the baffles <NUM> are integrally formed with or adhered to the rod <NUM>, this relationship may be referred to herein as a coupling (e.g., the baffles <NUM> are coupled to the rod <NUM>). The components of the device <NUM>, the rod <NUM>, and the baffles <NUM> may be formed from the same or different materials. In one embodiment, the rod <NUM> and the baffles <NUM> are formed from resilient and heat-resistant material, such as a metal. Suitable materials may include aluminum, steel, stainless steel, brass, copper, or plated base metals (i.e. plated with precious and semi-precious plated metals like silver, gold, platinum group metals or other relatively inert metals, like chrome, nickel, etc.) In addition, materials like plastics, fluoroplastics, fiberglass or carbon-fiber composites, or any material(s) compatible with the process and structurally suitable for rods or structural members may be employed in the construction of the device <NUM>. The individual baffle <NUM> may extend outwardly (e.g., radially) from the rod <NUM> towards the surface <NUM> of the internal wall <NUM> to form an annulus or partial annulus about the rod <NUM> that includes a top surface <NUM> upon which liquid may pool and subsequently vaporize during separation of one or more volatile components. In another embodiment, the baffle <NUM> may extend orthogonally from the axis of rotation <NUM> or nonorthogonally, such as at an angle <NUM> (e.g., <NUM>-<NUM> degrees, <NUM>-<NUM> degrees, <NUM>-<NUM> degrees) offset from an orthogonal plane.

Each individual baffle terminates at an edge <NUM>, which is spaced apart or forms a gap <NUM> with the internal wall surface <NUM> such that there is clearance during baffle rotation, i.e., such that the edges <NUM> of the baffles <NUM> do not directly contact the internal wall surface <NUM> during rotation of the rotating assembly <NUM>. Depending on the configuration of each baffle, the gap <NUM> may be a constant distance, e.g., in embodiments when the baffle <NUM> is a ring. In other embodiments, the gap <NUM> may change in size about the circumference of the internal wall surface <NUM> when the baffle <NUM> features an edge <NUM> or edges <NUM> with an irregular curve or shape. Accordingly, in certain embodiments, each baffle <NUM> may be configured such that the gap <NUM> is at least a certain size (i.e., such that the edge <NUM> is at least a certain distance from the internal wall surface <NUM>) at any given position along the edge <NUM> to provide a desired tolerance. In one embodiment, the baffles <NUM> may include different-sized and/or shaped baffles. For example, if the cross-sectional diameter of the interior space <NUM> varies along the axis of the rod <NUM>, the span (edge-to-edge dimension) of each baffle <NUM> may change to accommodate a changed diameter of the internal surface (e.g. the external surface of the rotating internal rod may not be parallel with internal surface of the fixed inner wall.

The rotating assembly <NUM> also includes one or more disrupters <NUM> configured to rotate in concert with the baffles and/or rod <NUM>. In operation, the liquid film disrupters <NUM> contact liquid film flowing on the internal wall surface <NUM> and, while rotating to contact the liquid film, generate droplets or spray that move towards the interior space <NUM> to promote increased liquid-vapor interaction. In the depicted embodiment, each disrupter <NUM> is coupled to the edges <NUM> of a subset of the baffles <NUM> to encompass the distance of the gap <NUM>. However, other arrangements are also contemplated as provided herein. In one embodiment, the liquid film disrupter <NUM> extends a distance from the edge <NUM> about equal to or slightly greater than the distance of the gap <NUM> (e.g., <NUM>-<NUM>% of the gap distance) to permit efficient rotation of the rotating assembly <NUM> even in the context of resistance or friction from contact of the liquid film disrupter <NUM> with the internal wall surface <NUM>. In one embodiment, the liquid film disrupter <NUM> is formed from a conformable material to permit deflection or slight compression during rotation. The liquid film disrupter <NUM> is configured as a roller. As depicted, a plurality of liquid film disrupters <NUM> may be distributed circumferentially about the baffles <NUM> and/or about the length of the rod <NUM> to contact liquid film at various locations within the device <NUM>.

The processing device <NUM> is coupled to one or more feed inlets <NUM>. In one embodiment, an operator may select a desired feed inlet <NUM> at a bottom, (feed inlet 52a) mid (feed inlet 52b), or upper (feed inlet 52c) portion of the device <NUM>. Each feed inlet <NUM> may be associated with different temperature exposure profiles and, therefore, the selection may be based on the volatile compound to be recovered. Further, in one embodiment, each portion of the device <NUM> may be heated by separate heat jackets or heating elements that are capable of being independently controlled. In one embodiment, the heat jacket or heat jackets are heated via a heat transfer fluid.

The overhead <NUM> of the processing device <NUM> may be fluidically coupled via a coupling <NUM> to a condenser <NUM> such that gas that collects in the overhead <NUM> is eventually cooled and collected in a reservoir <NUM>. During distillation, a component of interest that is more volatile than other components of a liquid is enriched in the overhead collections. The system <NUM> also permits reflux return of condensed liquid enriched in the volatile compound of interest to the device <NUM> for additional cycles of distillation, which may improve separation. In certain embodiments, the volatile compound may be an undesired compound, and the distillation is performed to remove the undesired compound. Accordingly, the system <NUM> permits collection of the less or non-volatile components from the device <NUM>.

<FIG> is a partial cutaway view of an embodiment of the processing device <NUM> in which the liquid film disrupter <NUM> is configured as a wiper <NUM> that is coupled to respective edges <NUM> and that is aligned along a vertical axis <NUM> substantially parallel to the axis of rotation <NUM> of the rod <NUM>. The rotating assembly <NUM> may include one or more wipers <NUM> circumferentially distributed about the edges <NUM> of the baffles <NUM>. The baffles <NUM> may be configured with notches or grooves that are sized and shaped to accommodate the wiper <NUM>.

The depicted embodiment also includes a helical baffle configuration or auger configuration in which the baffles <NUM> are arranged with a variable flight spacing and pitch. Accordingly, in certain embodiments, the baffles <NUM> as disclosed herein, helical or nonhelical, may be arranged such that a pitch distance between two adjacent baffles is not the same as a pitch distances between at least one other set of adjacent baffles <NUM> of the rotating assembly <NUM>. Because the vapor load will increase going up the device <NUM> while in operation, different flight spacing may be used to maintain a pressure drop of <<NUM> mmHg across the device. For example, a stepped difference in spacing may be used in which a first subset of baffles <NUM> towards a bottom of the device <NUM> have a first pitch distance <NUM> that is smaller than the respective pitch distances of a second subset of baffles <NUM> (having a second pitch distance <NUM>) in a midsection and/or a third subset of baffles <NUM> (having a third pitch distance <NUM>) in an upper section, i.e., closer to the overhead space <NUM>. In one embodiment, the appropriate spacing was determined to be approximately <NUM> inches in the lower section, <NUM> inches in the middle, and <NUM> inches in the top section. In another embodiment, the pitch distance may continuously vary up the device <NUM> towards the overhead space <NUM> such that a pitch distance <NUM> starting from a bottom-most set of baffles <NUM> is smallest and increases along the axis <NUM> of the rotating rod <NUM>. The pitch distance may be measured edge-to-edge (e.g., edge <NUM>) along an axis (e.g., axis <NUM>) or as distance between coupling points to the rotating rod <NUM> for adjacent baffles <NUM>.

<FIG> is a partial cutaway view showing an arrangement of an exterior device wall <NUM> forming a gap relative to the internal wall <NUM> to permit jacketing of the device <NUM> and heating via a heat transfer fluid. As disclosed herein, the heat jacket may be one or more heat jackets. The wiper <NUM> may include surface features (e.g., formed on or in an exterior surface) such as a vertical groove that may enhance droplet or spray formation while the wiper <NUM> is in operation. In certain embodiments, the groove may be continuous along the length of the wiper <NUM> or may be discontinuous. Further, the surface of the wiper <NUM> may include other surface features, such as one or more ridges or ribs.

<FIG> is a schematic view of an embodiment according to the invention of the device <NUM> including a roller assembly <NUM>. The device <NUM> in the depicted embodiment includes a plurality of roller assemblies <NUM>. However, it should be understood the device <NUM> may include one, two, or any suitable number of roller assemblies <NUM>. The roller assemblies <NUM> include one or more rollers <NUM> coupled to the rod <NUM> via a bracket <NUM> at an upper coupling point 88a and a lower coupling point 88b. The roller assembly <NUM> may be arranged to include a first roller 84a that is rotationally offset from a second roller 84b, e.g., offset about <NUM> degrees, <NUM> degrees at a given time such that the rollers <NUM> are distributed about the internal wall surface <NUM> at different time points to provide additional contact events during rotation of the rotating assembly <NUM>. The device <NUM> may also include additional roller assemblies <NUM> along the length of the rotating rod <NUM> that, in turn, include one or more rollers <NUM> that are rotationally offset from the rollers <NUM> of an adjacent roller assembly <NUM>.

When the roller assembly <NUM> is used in conjunction with a helical baffle arrangement, the coupling point or points <NUM> may be positioned on the rotating hollow rod <NUM> at breaks <NUM> or along an axis formed by the breaks <NUM> in the baffles <NUM>. These breaks <NUM> represent circumferential locations about the rotating rod <NUM> at which extension of the baffle <NUM> towards the internal wall surface <NUM> is at a minimum (i.e., locations where the gap <NUM> with the edge <NUM>, see <FIG>, is largest). Accordingly, these locations may accommodate larger roller assemblies <NUM>. Further, relative to embodiments in which relatively thinner or narrower scrapers or wipers are used, the rotating rod <NUM> used in conjunction with a roller assembly <NUM> may have a larger shaft diameter to prevent deflection during operation. The rotating hollow rod may extend into a bottom bearing that further stabilizes the rotating assembly. The rotating assembly <NUM> (see <FIG>) may also include one or more stabilizing ribs <NUM> to facilitate even rotation and prevent deflection or harmonic vibrations of the baffles <NUM>.

During rotation of the rotating assembly <NUM>, the rollers <NUM> contact the internal wall surface <NUM> and, as a result of the contact under the rotational force of the rotating assembly <NUM>, the rollers <NUM> rotate relative to their brackets <NUM>. The rotating assembly <NUM> rotates the rod <NUM> under motor control, and the rollers <NUM> rotate through, at least in part, contact with the wall <NUM> while moving about the circumference of the internal wall in conjunction with the rotating assembly <NUM>. The rollers <NUM> may be implemented without separate motors to drive their rotation.

<FIG> is a perspective view of an example roller <NUM> coupled to the bracket <NUM> via a fork design, which permits movement of the roller relative to the bracket <NUM> and towards the internal wall surface <NUM> to push the roller <NUM> forward. The roller <NUM> is coupled to the bracket <NUM> via a pin <NUM> that fits within a gap formed in a fork <NUM>. The gap is open towards the internal wall surface <NUM>. Centripetal forces of rotation of the rotating assembly <NUM> help the roller <NUM> maintain contact with the internal wall surface <NUM> (<FIG>). During rotation, the pin <NUM> may move within the fork to facilitate adjustments of the position of the roller surface towards the internal wall surface <NUM>. The roller <NUM> rotates about an axis of rotation <NUM> that is parallel or substantially parallel to the axis of rotation <NUM> of the rotating rod <NUM> (<FIG>).

An advantage of the roller <NUM> is the increased vapor-liquid contact caused by the larger liquid film surface area of the roller and roller spray/droplets of the liquid film flowing on the internal wall surface <NUM>. The roller <NUM> may greatly increase surface area by picking liquid up off the walls and throwing it into the middle of the device in small droplets. In one embodiment, the liquid surface area of film contact may increase by over <NUM>% from the small droplets. The increase in surface area is related to droplet size. Grooved or textured rollers <NUM> may be employed to control the spray/droplet size and quantity and to convey the liquid film in a preferred direction, i.e., upward, downward, and axially, depending on the feed composition, evaporation rate, rotational speed of the internal components and the pitch and spacing of an internal vapor baffle. Accordingly, a roller surface may feature a pattern of ridges and/or protrusions. The roller <NUM> may also feature a high grip tread design on the roller surface <NUM> to prevent the roller <NUM> from slipping on the wall.

In certain disclosed embodiments, the processing device <NUM> may be provided as part of a larger separation processes. In one embodiment, the processing device <NUM> may be separable and/or swappable to permit selection of an appropriately configured device <NUM> according to the desired separation parameters or for repair or maintenance. In one embodiment, individual elements of the processing device <NUM> may be replaced or exchanged. For example, a first rotating assembly <NUM> including wipers <NUM> may be removed from the processing device <NUM> and replaced with a second rotating assembly <NUM> including rollers <NUM> to improve a separation process. In another embodiment, the disrupters <NUM> may wear more quickly than other components of the rotating assembly <NUM>. Accordingly, in one embodiment, the rotating assembly <NUM> may be configured to permit swapping of a used disrupter <NUM> (e.g., roller <NUM>) with a new disrupter <NUM>. For example, the pin <NUM> and roller <NUM> may be easily removed via the fork <NUM> from the bracket <NUM> and replaced when the roller surface <NUM> is worn or fouled.

<FIG> is an embodiment of the rod <NUM> of the rotating assembly <NUM> in which the rod <NUM> is surrounded by a basket <NUM> that is formed from a perforated surface <NUM> that includes a plurality of apertures <NUM>. The apertures <NUM> of the perforated surface <NUM> rotate within the interior space <NUM> and with respect to the interior surface <NUM> together with rotation of the rod <NUM>. In certain embodiment, the perforated surface <NUM> is spaced apart from the interior surface <NUM> to form a gap. The basket interior <NUM> may be at least partially filled with loose or structured packing that is contained by the perforated surface <NUM>. The packing components may include large and/or small pieces which are formed from pure metals, alloys, ceramics, carbon, or plastics. The internal packing may also contain a catalyst or catalytic compounds loaded upon an inert support. Further, the basket interior <NUM> of the rotating assembly <NUM> also may also contain internal components constructed from woven wire, carbon or other fibers, e.g., materials used in structured column packing to promote gas/liquid interactions and mass transfer. The basket interior <NUM> may function to promote processing of a material within the processing device <NUM> during rotation of the rotating assembly <NUM>. The rod <NUM> that supports and drives the rotation of the entire basket <NUM> may also be employed as a heat exchanger. That is, as shown, the rod <NUM> may also include one or more internal passages <NUM> that may receive a heat transfer fluid. The illustrated embodiment may be used with or without the baffles <NUM> depicted in other embodiments. One or more baffles <NUM> may or may not extend from the rod <NUM>.

Claim 1:
A processing device (<NUM>), comprising:
an internal wall (<NUM>) of a heated or cooled jacket, the internal wall (<NUM>) forming an interior space (<NUM>);
a rotating rod (<NUM>) positioned within the interior space (<NUM>) formed by the internal wall (<NUM>);
a plurality of baffles (<NUM>) spaced apart from one another along the rotating rod (<NUM>) and extending away from the rotating rod (<NUM>) towards the internal wall (<NUM>), wherein the plurality of baffles (<NUM>) are configured to rotate with the rotating rod (<NUM>) relative to the internal wall (<NUM>), and wherein the baffles are helical baffles or are constricted with a variable flight spacing and/or pitch; and
at least one roller (<NUM>) coupled to an edge (<NUM>) of at least one of the plurality of baffles (<NUM>) with a bracket (<NUM>) or coupled to the rotating rod (<NUM>) with the bracket (<NUM>), wherein the at least one roller (<NUM>) is configured to contact the internal wall (<NUM>), and wherein the at least roller (<NUM>) is configured to rotate with the rotating rod (<NUM>).