Abstract: Systems and methods for controlling a system of fans in a facility from a central system controller are disclosed herein. In one embodiment, the system of fans can be configured to shut down automatically during an emergency condition or event. For example, a fan system controller can be connected to the system of fans and provide a signal to each of the fans. While each of the fans receives the signal, power is connected to a motor on each of the fans. Upon detection of an emergency condition, the fan system controller disconnects the signal to the fans, thereby automatically simultaneously shutting down the entire system of fans.

Abstract: The invention concerns an evaporator, especially for the sugar industry, with at least two heat exchangers, into the top of which the medium to be concentrated is loaded and which are heated with steam with different compositions and/or different pressures in a cross stream, wherein the concentrated medium and the exhaust steam generated, after they come out of the heat exchanger, are carried off separately. To produce an evaporator that is simple and inexpensive in design, the invention proposes that the medium to be concentrated be loaded by a medium distribution common to all heat exchangers and the medium leaving the first heat exchanger go directly into the next heat exchanger. Only after the medium comes out of the second heat exchanger are the exhaust steam and the medium separated. The steam spaces in the heat exchanger separated from the exhaust steam space are separated from one another by a common dividing wall.

Abstract: An auxiliary apparatus for producing maple syrup from maple sap is adapted to utilize the latent heat of the steam emitted from the flue pan of a maple syrup evaporator which is fitted in sealed relation on top of the flue pan. The auxiliary apparatus is in the form of an upwardly opening pan with upright side walls and a bottom wall having a triangularly grooved inner surface and a correspondingly ridged outer surface. Steam pipes "open" at both ends thereof, extend through the interior of the auxiliary pan from a steam receiving chamber of the auxiliary pan to an upwardly opening exhaust chamber at the opposite end of the pan so that a substantial portion of the steam from the flue pan will flow through the sap in the auxiliary pan to heat the maple sap disposed therein to reduce the water content of the sap utilizing the latent heat from the flue pan. A plurality of air pipes also extend through the evaporator in parallel and closely adjacent relation to and below the steam pipes.