Abstract: The invention relates to a process for the recovery and recycling of ethylene oxide (EO) after use in a sterilization process. The process involves the steps of introducing a mixed gas stream containing EO, nitrogen, oxygen, CO2, water, and a few other trace elements. The system includes integrated EO concentration sensors to determine the concentration of the EO in the gas stream. The system includes a series of compressors to pressurize the gas stream, and chillers or condensers to cool the gas stream to condense the EO out of the gas stream. The system includes temperature and pressure sensors to determine the conditions in the gas stream, and a control system that evaluates the temperature and pressure data and controls the compressors and chillers to achieve the properties to maximize the condensation of EO out of the gas stream.

Abstract: The invention relates to a process for the recovery and recycling of ethylene oxide (EO) after use in a sterilization process. The process involves the steps of introducing a mixed gas stream containing EO, nitrogen, oxygen, CO2, water, and a few other trace elements. The system includes integrated EO concentration sensors to determine the concentration of the EO in the gas stream. The system includes a series of compressors to pressurize the gas stream, and chillers or condensers to cool the gas stream to condense the EO out of the gas stream. The system includes temperature and pressure sensors to determine the conditions in the gas stream, and a control system that evaluates the temperature and pressure data and controls the compressors and chillers to achieve the properties to maximize the condensation of EO out of the gas stream.

Abstract: The invention relates to a process for the recovery and recycling of ethylene oxide (EO) after use in a sterilization process. The process involves the steps of introducing a mixed gas stream containing EO, nitrogen, oxygen, CO2, water, and a few other trace elements. The system includes integrated EO concentration sensors to determine the concentration of the EO in the gas stream. The system includes a series of compressors to pressurize the gas stream, and chillers or condensers to cool the gas stream to condense the EO out of the gas stream. The system includes temperature and pressure sensors to determine the conditions in the gas stream, and a control system that evaluates the temperature and pressure data and controls the compressors and chillers to achieve the properties to maximize the condensation of EO out of the gas stream.

Abstract: In the commercial processes of using ethylene oxides for sterilization and fumigation over 99% of the ethylene oxide used is the process goes unreacted and is discharged from the sterilization/fumigation chamber. This process allows for the capture of ethylene oxide by using temperature, pressure, and both temperature and pressure to condense, separate and recycle the liquefied ethylene oxide from the non-condensable gases. The invention allows the user to recover then recycle the bulk of the exhausted ethylene oxide significantly increasing its utilization thus reducing the quantity of ethylene oxide required to be on-site. As secondary benefits, both feed stock and mitigation costs are significantly reduced.

Abstract: A system for producing a syngas from a biomass material. The system compacts a loose biomass material to form a compacted biomass material at an entrance of a reactor tube, and then heats the compacted biomass material within the tube to form ash and a fuel gas mixture. The fuel gas mixture is withdrawn from the tube and the ash is removed from the tube through an exit thereof. Ingress of air into the tube is inhibited by forming a plug of the biomass material at the entrance of the tube and a plug of ash at the exit of the tube. A neutral atmospheric pressure is maintained in the reactor tube relative to pressure outside the reactor tube by monitoring and adjusting a volumetric rate of the fuel gas mixture withdrawn from the reactor tube based on pressures at the entrance and the exit of the reactor tube.

Abstract: A system for producing a syngas from a biomass material. The system compacts a loose biomass material to form a compacted biomass material at an entrance of a reactor tube, and then heats the compacted biomass material within the tube to form ash and a fuel gas mixture. The fuel gas mixture is withdrawn from the tube and the ash is removed from the tube through an exit thereof. Ingress of air into the tube is inhibited by forming a plug of the biomass material at the entrance of the tube and a plug of ash at the exit of the tube.

Abstract: A system and process capable of promoting the energy content of a syngas produced from a biomass material. The system and process entail compacting a loose biomass material and simultaneously introducing the compacted biomass material into an entrance of a reactor tube, and then heating the compacted biomass material within the tube to a temperature at which organic molecules within the biomass material break down to form ash and a fuel gas mixture. The fuel gas mixture is withdrawn from the tube and the ash is removed from the tube through an exit thereof. The entrance and exit of the tube, the compaction step, and the removal step cooperate to inhibit ingress of air into the tube by forming a plug of the biomass material at the entrance of the tube and a plug of ash at the exit of the tube.

Abstract: A system and process capable of promoting the energy content of a syngas produced from a biomass material. The system and process entail compacting a loose biomass material and simultaneously introducing the compacted biomass material into an entrance of a reactor tube, and then heating the compacted biomass material within the tube to a temperature at which organic molecules within the biomass material break down to form ash and a fuel gas mixture. The fuel gas mixture is withdrawn from the tube and the ash is removed from the tube through an exit thereof. The entrance and exit of the tube, the compaction step, and the removal step cooperate to inhibit ingress of air into the tube by forming a plug of the biomass material at the entrance of the tube and a plug of ash at the exit of the tube.

Abstract: A system and process capable of promoting the energy content of a syngas produced from a biomass material. The system and process entail compacting a loose biomass material and simultaneously introducing the compacted biomass material into an entrance of a reactor tube, and then heating the compacted biomass material within the tube to a temperature at which organic molecules within the biomass material break down to form ash and a fuel gas mixture. The fuel gas mixture is withdrawn from the tube and the ash is removed from the tube through an exit thereof. The entrance and exit of the tube, the compaction step, and the removal step cooperate to inhibit ingress of air into the tube by forming a plug of the biomass material at the entrance of the tube and a plug of ash at the exit of the tube.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for controlling efficacy of a food processing system. The method includes, responsive to receiving set points from an automatic expert system, operating an adaptive controller to perform steps including comparing the set points from the automatic expert system to process variables for the food processing system. The steps also include generating an error signal indicating a difference between the compared process variables and the set points and adjusting control settings for the food processing system using the error signal and one or more control parameters. The adaptive controller is configured to automatically modify the control parameters in response to a detected change in at least one of the set points and the process variables.

Abstract: Integral blocks, chemical delivery systems and methods for delivering an ultrapure chemical to a point of use or to another integral block are provided. More particularly, the integral blocks include a recharge container block, a pressurization gas block, a purge gas block, a waste recovery block, a vacuum block, a solvent supply block, a degas block, a control block, and a filtration block. Various integral blocks may be selected to form a chemical delivery system, which is particularly suited for a given application. A chemical delivery system will typically comprise a chemical container block, a chemical delivery block, and a point of use in line with the chemical container block and chemical delivery block, as well as one or more integral blocks.

Abstract: A coolant system for cooling a fiber includes a heat exchanger with an internal passage disposed between a fiber inlet and fiber outlet to cool the fiber moving through the internal passage. A plurality of chambers are disposed within the internal passage, and at least one fluid medium flows within at least a portion of the internal passage, and at least one adjustable seal is positioned within the internal passage to form a partition between two adjacent chambers. A gas analyzer communicates with at least one chamber of the internal passage to extract a fluid sample from the chamber and to measure a concentration of a gas in the extracted fluid sample. A controller communicates with the analyzer and controls at least one of the adjustable seal and the flow rate of fluid medium within the internal passage based upon the measured concentration.

Abstract: A treatment process for preserving a food or food product against microbiological contamination, which improves the quality of such food and enhances the safety of food and food products for consumption by mammals, especially humans. The process utilizes a treatment of food or food products, or packaged food or food products, with a high pressure gas treatment process (HPP) to provide a reduction of the level of microorganisms or spores on and in such foods or food products. The method includes exposing the food or food product to a gas and/or injecting a gas into a container containing the food or food product; optionally, closing or sealing the container; and subjecting the food or food product and/or the container containing the food or food product to a temperature of less than about 50° C. and, concurrently, to more than one pressure treatment cycle at a pressure of at least about 10,000 psig.

Abstract: A method of treating an object containing a material of metal, oxidized metal, non-metal, and the like and combinations thereof. The method includes (a) exposing an object to a controlled gas atmosphere, and (b) during at least a portion of time during such exposing, subjecting a specific area of the material to an energy beam, preferably a focused energy beam, more preferably a focused and filtered energy beam, having sufficient intensity to provide for the treating of the specific area. Such treating includes heating, welding, cutting, dicing, soldering, singulating, reducing, oxidizing, fusing, melting, and the like and combinations thereof. The energy beam source can be a laser selected from a group which includes YAG lasers, excimer lasers, gas lasers, semiconductor lasers, solid-state lasers, dye lasers, X-ray lasers, free-electron lasers, ion lasers, gas mixture lasers, chemical lasers, and the like and combinations thereof.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus for cooling an object using a heat transfer fluid are presented. One of the methods comprises the steps of contacting the object with a heat transfer fluid comprising helium as a major component, the object traversing through a heat exchange unit having an object inlet end and an object outlet end; preventing ingress of contaminants into the heat exchange unit inlet end and outlet end using a seal gas, the seal gas exiting with the heat transfer fluid to form an exit gas; compressing the exit gas to form a compressed recycle gas; routing the compressed recycle gas to a gas-liquid separator, thus forming a helium enriched gas which function as the heat transfer fluid and an enriched liquid; and heating the enriched liquid to form the seal gas.

Abstract: Processes and systems to recover at least one perfluorocompound gas from a gas mixture are provided. In one embodiment the inventive process comprises the steps of a) providing a gas mixture comprising at least one perfluorocompound gas and at least one carrier gas, the gas mixture being at a predetermined pressure; b) providing at least one glassy polymer membrane having a feed side and a permeate side; c) contacting the feed side of the at least one membrane with the gas mixture; d) withdrawing from the feed side of the membrane as a non-permeate stream at a pressure which is substantially equal to the predetermined pressure a concentrated gas mixture comprising essentially the at least one perfluorocompound gas; and e) withdrawing from the permeate side of the membrane as a permeate stream a depleted gas mixture comprising essentially the at least one carrier gas.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus for cooling an object using a heat transfer fluid are presented. One of the methods comprises the steps of contacting the object with a heat transfer fluid comprising helium as a major component, the object traversing through a heat exchange unit having an object inlet end and an object outlet end; preventing ingress of contaminants into the heat exchange unit inlet end and outlet end using a seal gas, the seal gas exiting with the heat transfer fluid to form an exit gas; compressing the exit gas to form a compressed recycle gas; routing the compressed recycle gas to a gas-liquid separator, thus forming a helium enriched gas which function as the heat transfer fluid and an enriched liquid; and heating the enriched liquid to form the seal gas.

Abstract: Integral blocks, chemical delivery systems and methods for delivering an ultrapure chemical to a point of use or to another integral block are provided. More particularly, the integral blocks include a recharge container block, a pressurization gas block, a purge gas block, a waste recovery block, a vacuum block, a solvent supply block, a degas block, a control block, and a filtration block. Various integral blocks may be selected to form a chemical delivery system, which is particularly suited for a given application. A chemical delivery system will typically comprise a chemical container block, a chemical delivery block, and a point of use in line with the chemical container block and chemical delivery block, as well as one or more integral blocks.

Abstract: A method of treating an object containing a material of metal, oxidized metal, non-metal, and the like and combinations thereof. The method includes (a) exposing an object to a controlled gas atmosphere, and (b) during at least a portion of time during such exposing, subjecting a specific area of the material to an energy beam, preferably a focused energy beam, more preferably a focused and filtered energy beam, having sufficient intensity to provide for the treating of the specific area. Such treating includes heating, welding, cutting, dicing, soldering, singulating, reducing, oxidizing, fusing, melting, and the like and combinations thereof. The energy beam source can be a laser selected from a group which includes YAG lasers, excimer lasers, gas lasers, semiconductor lasers, solid-state lasers, dye lasers, X-ray lasers, free-electron lasers, ion lasers, gas mixture lasers, chemical lasers, and the like and combinations thereof.

Abstract: Processes and systems to recover at least one perfluorocompound gas from a gas mixture are provided. In one embodiment the inventive process comprises the steps of a) providing a gas mixture comprising at least one perfluorocompound gas and at least one carrier gas, the gas mixture being at a predetermined pressure; b) providing at least once glassy polymer membrane having a feed side and a permeate side; c) contacting the feed side of the at least one membrane with the gas mixture; d) withdrawing from the feed side of the membrane as a non-permeate stream at a pressure which is substantially equal to the predetermined pressure a concentrated gas mixture comprising essentially the at least one perfluorocompound gas; and e) withdrawing from the permeate side of the membrane as a permeate stream a depleted gas mixture comprising essentially the at least one carrier gas.