There is disclosed a vertical vibratory thermal treatment system, comprising a heating section for thermally treating material, a retort section that is located within or connected to the heating section and includes at least one elevator system for vertically moving the material to the heating section. The disclosed elevator system is isolated from other parts of the thermal treatment section by an enclosure thereby allowing for flexibility and simplicity in the design of the retort section. There is also disclosed a method of treating materials, including hazardous or radioactive materials, such as a powder, sand, granule, gravel, agglomerate or other form of particle or combinations thereof, using the system described herein.

There is disclosed a vertical vibratory thermal treatment system, comprising a heating section for thermally treating material, a retort section that is located within or connected to the heating section and includes at least one elevator system for vertically moving the material to the heating section. The disclosed elevator system is isolated from other parts of the thermal treatment section by an enclosure thereby allowing for flexibility and simplicity in the design of the retort section. There is also disclosed a method of treating materials, including hazardous or radioactive materials, such as a powder, sand, granule, gravel, agglomerate or other form of particle or combinations thereof, using the system described herein.

A conveyor oven comprising a housing defining a cook chamber and a heating element adjacent the cook chamber. A controller is programmed to control a cook time based upon a current estimated temperature in the oven, wherein the current estimated temperature is a function of a heat power input during a previous time period and can also be a function of a previous estimated temperature. The oven can further include a conveyor and a motor coupled to the conveyor, wherein the controller is programmed to control a cook time of the conveyor. The controller can also be programmed to control the cook time based upon a product loading condition. The oven can further include a presence sensor for detecting the presence of food in the oven and for providing a corresponding signal. Preferably, the calculation is an eye calculation that is a function of a previous eye calculation.

A conveyor oven comprising a housing defining a cook chamber and a heating element adjacent the cook chamber. A controller is programmed to control a cook time based upon a current estimated temperature in the oven, wherein the current estimated temperature is a function of a heat power input during a previous time period and can also be a function of a previous estimated temperature. The oven can further include a conveyor and a motor coupled to the conveyor, wherein the controller is programmed to control a cook time of the conveyor. The controller can also be programmed to control the cook time based upon a product loading condition. The oven can further include a presence sensor for detecting the presence of food in the oven and for providing a corresponding signal. Preferably, the calculation is an eye calculation that is a function of a previous eye calculation.

A method of thermal processing a work piece using another work piece which includes providing a chamber having a plurality of temperature zones, disposing a first work piece within a first temperature zone of the chamber, allowing a temperature of the first work piece to thermally equilibrate with the first temperature zone, moving the first work piece to a second temperature zone and disposing a second work piece within the second temperature zone of the chamber, in fluid communication with the first work piece, wherein a thermal exchange occurs between the first and second work pieces.

A method of thermal processing a work piece using another work piece which includes providing a chamber having a plurality of temperature zones, disposing a first work piece within a first temperature zone of the chamber, allowing a temperature of the first work piece to thermally equilibrate with the first temperature zone, moving the first work piece to a second temperature zone and disposing a second work piece within the second temperature zone of the chamber, in fluid communication with the first work piece, wherein a thermal exchange occurs between the first and second work pieces.

Methods and apparatus for fabricating separators for solid-state lithium metal batteries employ rapid thermal processing. Aspects include high temperature sintering. Temperatures, durations of heat application, and proximity of heating elements to materials undergoing sintering combine to provide separators with desirable physical characteristics, including porosity, in a batch process.

Methods and apparatus for fabricating separators for solid-state lithium metal batteries employ rapid thermal processing. Aspects include high temperature sintering. Temperatures, durations of heat application, and proximity of heating elements to materials undergoing sintering combine to provide separators with desirable physical characteristics, including porosity, in a batch process.

Moving metal strips can be heat treated with any number or combination of dimensionally variable tempers across widths, lengths, or thicknesses of a metal strip. To provide dimensionally variable heat treatment, an apparatus can include one or more heating units suitable to increase the temperature of a metal strip moving proximate the apparatus to a heat treatment temperature. The apparatus can also include one or more cooling units positioned near the heating units to absorb heat and cool the metal strip to minimize the amount of heat transferred from a first region of the metal strip that is to be treated to a second region of the metal strip that is not to be treated.

Moving metal strips can be heat treated with any number or combination of dimensionally variable tempers across widths, lengths, or thicknesses of a metal strip. To provide dimensionally variable heat treatment, an apparatus can include one or more heating units suitable to increase the temperature of a metal strip moving proximate the apparatus to a heat treatment temperature. The apparatus can also include one or more cooling units positioned near the heating units to absorb heat and cool the metal strip to minimize the amount of heat transferred from a first region of the metal strip that is to be treated to a second region of the metal strip that is not to be treated.