The big guys use a design similar to the steam slayer just on a bigger scale. I'm sure that's where the steam slayer idea came from.Good point...I wonder how the big guys do it? I would think its possible to mitigate that if the vent dips down right away, making the low point NOT the kettle. I'm sure there's some way to make it easier to clean.
I just see hoods as being inefficient. I'll have to see if I can find a book on industrial brewing equipment to see how they manage this.