Abstract: A system is disclosed for use in a ventilation cabinet about a furnace. The system includes a heat exchanger coil having a bottom directed toward the furnace being configured to received air from the furnace, a drip pan disposed at the bottom of the heat exchanger coil so as to catch condensed water from the heat exchanger coil, and a heat shield including a unitary sheet metal body configured to be inserted between the drip pan and the furnace.

Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention provide for efficient and economical production and recovery of ethanol or other volatile organic compounds. One embodiment comprises contacting a solid component of a biomass material with a solution adapted to facilitate saccharification. The solid component is generated by a method comprising: introducing a biomass material to a compartment of a solventless recovery system, wherein the biomass material contains one or more volatile organic compounds; contacting the biomass material with a superheated vapor stream in the compartment to vaporize at least a portion of an initial liquid content in the biomass material; separating a vapor component and a solid component from the heated biomass material; and retaining at least a portion of the gas component for use as part of the superheated vapor stream. In one embodiment, the solid component contacted with the solution is further subjected to enzymatic hydrolysis and/or fermentation.

Abstract: A system prepares plant specimens, tracks the plant specimens, captures images of the plant specimens, and evaluates growth parameters of the plant specimens in the captured images. The system prepares receptacles by placing a predetermined quantity of gel, if required by a particular test, into a receptacle and a layer of material, if required by a particular test, on top of the gel. The system separates a quantity of seeds into individual seeds and places an individual seed in each receptacle between the gel layer and the cover layer. The receptacles are then arrayed into decks and carts and subjected to controlled stress conditions and conditions conducive to germination and growth. An image capture device captures backlit images of the receptacles, and a processor analyzes the captured images for growth parameters of the plant specimens and enters those parameters into a database together with a unique identifier of the plant specimen.

Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention provide for efficient and economical production and recovery of ethanol or other volatile organic compounds, such as acetic acid, from solid biomass material, particularly on a larger scale, such as on the commercialization or industrial scale. According to one aspect of the invention, the method comprises (a) generating at least about 10 tons of prepared biomass material by adding a microbe, optionally an acid, and optionally, an enzyme to a solid biomass; (b) storing the prepared biomass material for at least about 24 hours in a storage facility to allow production of at least one volatile organic compound from at least a portion of the sugar in the solid biomass; and (c) capturing the at least one volatile organic compound by using a solventless recovery system.

Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention provide for production and recovery of ethanol or other volatile organic compounds, such as acetic acid, from solid biomass material. One embodiment comprises introducing a biomass material to a compartment of a solventless recovery system, wherein the biomass material contains one or more volatile organic compounds; contacting the biomass material with a superheated vapor stream in the compartment to vaporize at least a portion of an initial liquid content in the biomass material, said superheated vapor stream comprising at least one volatile organic compound; separating a vapor component and a solid component from the heated biomass material, said vapor component comprising at least one volatile organic compound; and retaining at least a portion of the vapor component for use as part of the superheated vapor stream.

Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention provide for production and recovery of volatile organic compounds and higher hydrocarbons from biomass material. One embodiment comprises contacting a solid component of a biomass material with a digestive solvent to form a digested biomass stream, and at least a portion of the digested biomass is further thermocatalytically treated to generate higher hydrocarbons. The solid component is generated by a method comprising introducing a biomass material to a compartment of a solventless recovery system, wherein the biomass material contains one or more volatile organic compounds; contacting the biomass material with a superheated vapor stream in the compartment to vaporize at least a portion of an initial liquid content in the biomass material; separating a vapor component and a solid component from the heated biomass material; retaining at least a portion of the gas component for use as part of the superheated vapor stream.

Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention provide for production and recovery of ethanol or other volatile organic compounds, such as acetic acid, from solid biomass material. One embodiment comprises introducing a biomass material to a compartment of a solventless recovery system, wherein the biomass material contains one or more volatile organic compounds; contacting the biomass material with a superheated vapor stream in the compartment to vaporize at least a portion of an initial liquid content in the biomass material, said superheated vapor stream comprising at least one volatile organic compound; separating a vapor component and a solid component from the heated biomass material, said vapor component comprising at least one volatile organic compound; and retaining at least a portion of the vapor component for use as part of the superheated vapor stream.

Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention provide for production and recovery of ethanol or other volatile organic compounds, such as acetic acid, from solid biomass material. One embodiment comprises introducing a biomass material to a compartment of a solventless recovery system, wherein the biomass material contains one or more volatile organic compounds; contacting the biomass material with a superheated vapor stream in the compartment to vaporize at least a portion of an initial liquid content in the biomass material, said superheated vapor stream comprising at least one volatile organic compound; separating a vapor component and a solid component from the heated biomass material, said vapor component comprising at least one volatile organic compound; and retaining at least a portion of the gas component for use as part of the superheated vapor stream.

Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention provide for production and recovery of ethanol or other volatile organic compounds, such as acetic acid, from solid biomass material. One embodiment comprises introducing a biomass material to a compartment of a solventless recovery system, wherein the biomass material contains one or more volatile organic compounds; contacting the biomass material with a superheated vapor stream in the compartment to vaporize at least a portion of an initial liquid content in the biomass material, said superheated vapor stream comprising at least one volatile organic compound; separating a vapor component and a solid component from the heated biomass material, said vapor component comprising at least one volatile organic compound; and retaining at least a portion of the gas component for use as part of the superheated vapor stream.

Abstract: In one embodiment, the animal feed product of the present invention is devolatilized. In addition, in various embodiments, the animal feed of the present invention is already size-reduced, which allows ease of handling and transport, such as further densification, including pelletization and/or other formatting process for rail transportation. In various embodiments, the animal feed of the present invention has a low sulfur content, high amount of ADF, and/or high amount of starch to meet desired nutritional amounts, which further can allow it to be a substantial or complete replacement of forage. In addition, in certain embodiments, grain is preferably not used in the production of the animal feed, but rather vegetative material is used instead.

Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention provide for efficient and economical production and recovery of ethanol or other volatile organic compounds. One embodiment comprises contacting a solid component of a biomass material with a solution adapted to facilitate saccharification. The solid component is generated by a method comprising: introducing a biomass material to a compartment of a solventless recovery system, wherein the biomass material contains one or more volatile organic compounds; contacting the biomass material with a superheated vapor stream in the compartment to vaporize at least a portion of an initial liquid content in the biomass material; separating a vapor component and a solid component from the heated biomass material; and retaining at least a portion of the gas component for use as part of the superheated vapor stream. In one embodiment, the solid component contacted with the solution is further subjected to enzymatic hydrolysis and/or fermentation.

Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention provide for production and recovery of volatile organic compounds and higher hydrocarbons from biomass material. One embodiment comprises contacting a solid component of a biomass material with a digestive solvent to form a digested biomass stream, and at least a portion of the digested biomass is further thermocatalytically treated to generate higher hydrocarbons. The solid component is generated by a method comprising introducing a biomass material to a compartment of a solventless recovery system, wherein the biomass material contains one or more volatile organic compounds; contacting the biomass material with a superheated vapor stream in the compartment to vaporize at least a portion of an initial liquid content in the biomass material; separating a vapor component and a solid component from the heated biomass material; retaining at least a portion of the gas component for use as part of the superheated vapor stream.

Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention provide for efficient and economical production and recovery of ethanol or other volatile organic compounds, such as acetic acid, from solid biomass material, particularly on a larger scale, such as on the commercialization or industrial scale. According to one aspect of the invention, the method comprises (a) generating at least about 10 tons of prepared biomass material by adding a microbe, optionally an acid, and optionally, an enzyme to a solid biomass; (b) storing the prepared biomass material for at least about 24 hours in a storage facility to allow production of at least one volatile organic compound from at least a portion of the sugar in the solid biomass; and (c) capturing the at least one volatile organic compound by using a solventless recovery system.

Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention provide for efficient and economical production and recovery of volatile organic compounds and hydrocarbons. One embodiment comprises contacting a solid component of a biomass material with a solution adapted to facilitate saccharification, and contacting the at least one fermentable sugar with a microorganism capable of using the at least one fermentable sugar to generate a hydrocarbon. The solid component is generated by introducing a biomass material to a compartment of a solventless recovery system, wherein the biomass material contains one or more volatile organic compounds; contacting the biomass material with a superheated vapor stream in the compartment to vaporize at least a portion of an initial liquid content in the biomass material; separating a vapor component and a solid component from the heated biomass material; and retaining at least a portion of the gas component for use as part of the superheated vapor stream.

Abstract: A system prepares plant specimens, tracks the plant specimens, captures images of the plant specimens, and evaluates growth parameters of the plant specimens in the captured images. The system prepares receptacles by placing a predetermined quantity of gel, if required by a particular test, into a receptacle and a layer of material, if required by a particular test, on top of the gel. The system separates a quantity of seeds into individual seeds and places an individual seed in each receptacle between the gel layer and the cover layer. The receptacles are then arrayed into decks and carts and subjected to controlled stress conditions and conditions conducive to germination and growth. An image capture device captures backlit images of the receptacles, and a processor analyzes the captured images for growth parameters of the plant specimens and enters those parameters into a database together with a unique identifier of the plant specimen.

Abstract: A system for monitoring an industrial production process includes one or more sensors configured to facilitate generating process data and a processor configured to calculate a value of a monitoring variable using the process data. The monitoring variable is optimized with respect to an abnormal space of a process space. The process space includes process parameters and principle components of a multivariate model of the process. The abnormal space includes a subspace of the process space.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for devitalizing seeds that provides a non-viable (i.e., non-germinating) seed exhibiting substantially the same protein and/or deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) characteristics as a viable seed and also relates to devitalized seeds produced by the method.

Abstract: Nonsymbiotic hemoglobins are broadly present across evolution; however, the function of these proteins is unknown. Cultured maize cells have been transformed to constitutively express a barley hemoglobin gene in either the sense (HB+) or antisense (HB?) orientation. Hemoglobin protein in the transformed cell lines was correspondingly higher or lower than in wild type cells under normal atmospheric conditions. Limiting oxygen availability, by placing the cells in a nitrogen atmosphere for 12 hours, had little effect on the energy status of cells constitutively expressing hemoglobin, but had a pronounced effect on both wild type and HB? cells, where ATP levels declined by 27% and 61% respectively. Energy charge was relatively unaffected by the treatment in HB+ and wild type cells, but was reduced from 0.91 to 0.73 in HB? cells suggesting that the latter were incapable of maintaining their energy status under the low oxygen regime. Similar results were observed with P.

Abstract: An air conditioning cooling coil and its associated drain pan are positionable in either a vertical or horizontal air flow orientation. With the drain pan in its vertical air flow orientation, generally horizontally disposed drainage trough portions of the drain pan around its periphery are sloped relative to one another in a manner such that all coil condensation received in the troughs flows by gravity therethrough into a downwardly projecting condensate well and outwardly through an outlet opening therein. When the drain pan is in its horizontal air flow orientation, the troughs are disposed generally in a vertical plane, and coil condensation falls on a specially designed horizontal drip shield, which may be connected to the pan without tools, separate fasteners or sealing material, and drains along the drip shield into one of the pan troughs for discharge from the main drain opening of the pan.