A method of treating the atmosphere of a storage of vegetable products with a volume greater than 200 m.sup.3, wherein the method comprises at least one step of contacting the atmosphere with a liquid flow by circulation in a packing. A treatment unit of the atmosphere of a storage of vegetable products having a volume greater than 200 m.sup.3, wherein the unit comprises a contacting device comprising a packing, a device for injecting a liquid flow into the contacting device, a device for circulating the storage atmosphere in the contacting device, wherein the contacting device is so designed that the atmosphere is brought into contact with the liquid flow by circulation in the packing.

A method of treating the atmosphere of a storage of vegetable products with a volume greater than 200 m.sup.3, wherein the method comprises at least one step of contacting the atmosphere with a liquid flow by circulation in a packing. A treatment unit of the atmosphere of a storage of vegetable products having a volume greater than 200 m.sup.3, wherein the unit comprises a contacting device comprising a packing, a device for injecting a liquid flow into the contacting device, a device for circulating the storage atmosphere in the contacting device, wherein the contacting device is so designed that the atmosphere is brought into contact with the liquid flow by circulation in the packing.

Systems and methods for operating a water recovery system are described and include activating a condenser of the water recovery system. The method includes measuring a temperature associated with the condenser based on data obtained from a condenser temperature sensor. The method includes comparing the temperature associated with the condenser to a maximum threshold temperature. The method includes activating an auxiliary condenser of the water recovery system in response to the temperature associated with the condenser being greater than the maximum threshold temperature.

A method of extracting an essential oil from plant matter, starting with providing plant matter to an interior of an extraction vessel, wherein the plant matter includes at least one essential oil. Next, at least one vacuum pump is used to reduce the pressure within the interior of the extraction vessel with the plant matter therein to an absolute pressure of less than 1.0 mm Hg absolute pressure. Microwave energy is applied to the plant matter while the interior of the extraction vessel is under the reduced pressure, thereby forming a vapor including at least a portion of the essential oil. The vapor is directed from the extraction vessel to at least one condenser vessel. Finally, the vapor is condensed to a liquid state such that the vapor includes at least a portion of the essential oil, by utilizing the at least one condenser vessel.

In a method for evaporating a non-gaseous starting material, the starting material is introduced into an evaporation chamber; an evaporation element heats the starting material to create a vapor; a conveying gas flow transports the vapor through a conveying channel and past a sensor, which measures the concentration or partial pressure of the vapor in the gas flow flowing through the conveying channel; and the mass flow of the vapor through the conveying channel is controlled by varying the conveying gas flow with respect to a setpoint value. To keep the vapor flow largely constant over time, a compensating gas flow is fed into the conveying channel at a mixing point disposed between the evaporator and the sensor. A second mass flow controller controls the mass flow of the compensating gas flow such that, when the conveying gas flow varies, the gas flow flowing past the sensor remains constant.

A novel solar-powered desalination and water purification system is disclosed herein. The system includes a nanofiber-impregnated graphene aerogel, an untreated water source, a water collection surface, and a purified water storage container. A novel photocatalytic nanofiber-impregnated graphene aerogel for desalination and photodegradation of contaminants for use in the disclosed system is also disclosed herein. The nanofiber-impregnated graphene aerogel exhibits excellent hydrophilicity, thermal insulation, and photodegradation capability, and allows for efficient solar-powered evaporation of water. The introduction of photocatalytic nanofibers into the graphene aerogel allows effective interfacial evaporation and in situ photodegradation of contaminants. The rate of water evaporation is preferably greater than 1.3 gal/ft.sup.2 per day, and the contaminant removal is preferably greater than 90%. A method of desalinating and purifying water using the disclosed system is also disclosed herein.

Methods and systems for separating a first metal from a metal-containing feed stream are provided. The method can include applying solar energy, for example, by focusing one or more mirrors in one or more heliostats, to heat a metal-containing feed stream in a heating zone to a first temperature to produce a first vapor including the first metal. The first vapor can be condensed in a condensation zone to produce a first liquid including the first metal, and the first liquid can be collected. The system can include a separation unit include a heating zone in fluid communication with a condensation zone and a means for applying solar energy to heat a metal-containing feed stream disposed in the heating zone.

A device for evaporating a fluid medium in a filling product filling plant includes an inclined evaporator surface, a medium supply line for applying the fluid medium that is to be evaporated to the evaporator surface, and grooves in the evaporator surface for conducting the fluid medium. The grooves along the evaporator surface have a non-linear design.

A method and apparatus for recovering distilled water from wastewater. The method and apparatus evaporates water vapor from a wastewater stream into a moving airflow, collects collecting distilled water from the water vapor, and powers the moving airflow and the collecting distilled water with a thermoelectric generator. The apparatus includes a self-regenerative distillation unit, with an evaporating channel, a condensing channel, and a distilled water outlet. The thermoelectric generator includes a hot shoe side in combination with the wastewater stream, and a cold shoe side in combination with the distilled water outlet. The thermoelectric generator powers a fan or blower connected to the evaporating channel and/or a water pump connected to the distilled water outlet.

The invention relates to 100% renewably-powered desalination/water purification stations for universal applications, the station is disruptive, scalable, amphibious and deportable to seawater, brackish or spill oil sites for simple wave-powered and autonomous operations, the station has a mooring assembly with pumping-purification-delivery subsystems powered by wave and solar energies, the pumping subsystems has the simplest, most efficient wave push/pull pump mechanisms powered by amplified wave centrifugal forces , the mechanical purifications has turbine filters, reverse-osmosis filters, forward-osmosis filters and relief valves to backwash buildups without releasing brine, release water through collecting spill oil, the solar thermal purifications are provided with distilling processes under vaccine conditions, the delivery subsystems with wave turbines and solar panels for generating electricity, propellering and transferring the stations for delivering fresh waters to destinations under GPS guide with the lowest LCOW.