Abstract: A method of softening coconut shell material, includes submerging the coconut shell material in water to produce clean crumb material, boiling the clean crumb material in a salt solution to produce boiled crumb material, steaming the boiled crumb material to produce steamed crumb material, first soaking the steamed crumb material in a solution of water and an alkali material to produce soaked crumb material, second soaking the soaked crumb material in a salt solution to produce second soaked crumb material, rinsing the second soaked crumb material with a stable alkaline solution to product softened wet crumb material, and storing the softened wet crumb material.

Abstract: An apparatus has one or more conveyor systems, each conveyor having a conveyor bed having a first end, and a second end opposite the first end, a conveyance mechanism configured to move material from the first end to the second end, a material inlet at the first end, a material outlet at the second end, and a waste discharge outlet, at least one liquid dispenser arranged to dispense liquid into each conveyor bed, and at least one sensor at least partially inserted into each conveyor bed, wherein the material inlet of the one or more conveyors is configured as an initial material inlet, and the material outlet of the one or more conveyors is configured as a final material outlet.

Abstract: Coconut crumb can serve as an infill material on synthetic turf fields in the place of tire crumb. The crumbs are less than 10 mm big and have smooth corners and edges. The process of producing the coconut crumb involves successive grinding or milling processes that reduce the inner hard shell of the coconut to particles of an appropriate size for infill, while screening out the unwanted material from being included in the infill.

Abstract: A synthetic turf field includes a top layer of synthetic turf material, and a coconut crumb infill under the synthetic turf material. An infill material is made of coconut crumb material from inner shells of coconuts, the crumbs having a sized range of less than 10 millimeters.

Abstract: An apparatus has one or more conveyor systems, each conveyor having a conveyor bed having a first end, and a second end opposite the first end, a conveyance mechanism configured to move material from the first end to the second end, a material inlet at the first end, a material outlet at the second end, and a waste discharge outlet, at least one liquid dispenser arranged to dispense liquid into each conveyor bed, and at least one sensor at least partially inserted into each conveyor bed, wherein the material inlet of the one or more conveyors is configured as an initial material inlet, and the material outlet of the one or more conveyors is configured as a final material outlet. A method of rinsing coir includes moving the coir through at least two conveyor beds, applying liquid to the coir as it moves through the at least two conveyors, monitoring a composition of the liquid in the conveyor beds, and automatically adjusting application of the liquid based upon the monitoring.

Abstract: A coir pellet of coconut pith mixed with granulated hard shell crumbs compressed into a pellet at a compression ratio of at least 3:1, the pellet being a sphere made of two half-spheres pressed together.

Abstract: A coir pellet has coconut pith mixed with at least one other material, and binder mixed into the coconut pith, wherein the coconut pith, at least one other material and the binder are compressed at a ratio of at least 3:1. A method of producing coir pellets includes conditioning coconut pith and at least one other material to produce conditioned material, first compressing the conditioned material to produce pellets of a first size at a first compression ratio, at least a second compressing the pellets of a first sized to produce pellets of at least a second size at a second compression ratio, wherein the second size is smaller than the first size, and the second compression ratio is higher than the first compression ratio, polishing the pellets of at least a second size to produce polished pellets, and drying the polished pellets to produce the coir pellets.

Abstract: Coir plugs have spherical plugs of coir pith having a diameter in the range of 1 to 3 inches having a seam between two halves of the plug, and indentations in a surface of the plugs, configured to receive a seed. A method of producing coir plugs includes at least one compressing of coir material using opposed half ball cup cylinders to produce spherical plugs having a diameter in the range of 1 to 3 inches and a seam between the two halves, and forming an indentation in a surface of the spherical plugs.

Abstract: An apparatus has one or more conveyor systems, each conveyor having a conveyor bed having a first end, and a second end opposite the first end, a conveyance mechanism configured to move material from the first end to the second end, a material inlet at the first end, a material outlet at the second end, and a waste discharge outlet, at least one liquid dispenser arranged to dispense liquid into each conveyor bed, and at least one sensor at least partially inserted into each conveyor bed, wherein the material inlet of the one or more conveyors is configured as an initial material inlet, and the material outlet of the one or more conveyors is configured as a final material outlet. A method of rinsing coir includes moving the coir through at least two conveyor beds, applying liquid to the coir as it moves through the at least two conveyors, monitoring a composition of the liquid in the conveyor beds, and automatically adjusting application of the liquid based upon the monitoring.

Abstract: A method of softening coconut shell material, includes submerging the coconut shell material in water to produce clean crumb material, boiling the clean crumb material in a salt solution to produce boiled crumb material, steaming the boiled crumb material to produce steamed crumb material, first soaking the steamed crumb material in a solution of water and an alkali material to produce soaked crumb material, second soaking the soaked crumb material in a salt solution to produce second soaked crumb material, rinsing the second soaked crumb material with a stable alkaline solution to product softened wet crumb material, and storing the softened wet crumb material.

Abstract: Coconut crumb can serve as an infill material on synthetic turf fields in the place of tire crumb. The crumbs are less than 10 mm big and have smooth corners and edges. The process of producing the coconut crumb involves successive grinding or milling processes that reduce the inner hard shell of the coconut to particles of an appropriate size for infill, while screening out the unwanted material from being included in the infill.

Abstract: Coir plugs have spherical plugs of coir pith having a diameter in the range of 1 to 3 inches having a seam between two halves of the plug, and indentations in a surface of the plugs, configured to receive a seed. A method of producing coir plugs includes at least one compressing of coir material using opposed half ball cup cylinders to produce spherical plugs having a diameter in the range of 1 to 3 inches and a seam between the two halves, and forming an indentation in a surface of the spherical plugs.

Abstract: A coir pellet has coconut pith mixed with at least one other material, and binder mixed into the coconut pith, wherein the coconut pith, at least one other material and the binder are compressed at a ratio of at least 3:1. A method of producing coir pellets includes conditioning coconut pith and at least one other material to produce conditioned material, first compressing the conditioned material to produce pellets of a first size at a first compression ratio, at least a second compressing the pellets of a first sized to produce pellets of at least a second size at a second compression ratio, wherein the second size is smaller than the first size, and the second compression ratio is higher than the first compression ratio, polishing the pellets of at least a second size to produce polished pellets, and drying the polished pellets to produce the coir pellets.

Abstract: A digital mixer is supplied with two digitized input signals in complex form. The product of the complex input signals is converted to analog form and provides the desired output signal without any alias terms. The first input signal is desirably stored in a first memory as a sequence of data points corresponding to a complex exponential sinusoid. The second input signal is a baseband excitation waveform that is also stored in complex form in a memory. Operands from these two sources are provided periodically to the mixer for complex multiplication. The sequence of sinusoid operands provided from the first memory is determined by a phase counter that indexes through the memory by a .DELTA..theta. term. .DELTA..theta. is selected so that the data indexed thereby corresponds to samples of a sine wave of the desired frequency. If .DELTA..theta. indexes a signal phase intermediate two complex data in the memory, an interpolated value is provided.