Disclosed is a distillation system having a distillation vessel configured to hold a mixture to be distilled, a heater configured to heat the distillation vessel to distill the mixture, and a heating vessel enclosing the heater. According to an embodiment, the heating vessel is configured to be purged, and the distillation system has a gas purge system configured to provide purging gas flow into the heating vessel. The purging gas flow prevents flammable gasses from entering the heating vessel and therefore there is no need for the heating vessel or the heater therein to be classified as explosion proof. In some implementations, the heater is an electrical heater in direct contact with the distillation vessel. The direct contact allows more efficient heating compared to an immersion heater, typically used in classified areas, in which there is no such direct contact and heat transfer fluid is required.

Disclosed is a distillation system having a distillation vessel configured to hold a mixture to be distilled, a heater configured to heat the distillation vessel to distill the mixture, and a heating vessel enclosing the heater. According to an embodiment, the heating vessel is configured to be purged, and the distillation system has a gas purge system configured to provide purging gas flow into the heating vessel. The purging gas flow prevents flammable gasses from entering the heating vessel and therefore there is no need for the heating vessel or the heater therein to be classified as explosion proof. In some implementations, the heater is an electrical heater in direct contact with the distillation vessel. The direct contact allows more efficient heating compared to an immersion heater, typically used in classified areas, in which there is no such direct contact and heat transfer fluid is required.

Method and apparatus for recovering a material by vaporization is disclosed. The method includes providing a heat transfer fluid to a liquid section of a vessel, injecting a material having a first component and a second component into the heat transfer fluid, the first component having a first volatility and the second component having a second volatility greater than the first volatility, circulating the heat transfer fluid from the liquid section to a heat exchanger, heating the heat transfer fluid to a temperature selected to vaporize at least a portion of the second component to a vapor section of the vessel, recovering the vaporized second component from the vapor section of the vessel, and circulating at least a portion of the heat transfer fluid from the from the heat exchanger through the vapor section of the vessel.

A method and apparatus for cultivating vegetation at an arid location includes rooting immature vegetation in a mat combined with a super absorbent polymer (SAP) and, in embodiments, fertilizer, sand, and/or soil; placing the mat at the arid location; covering the mat with a perforated, transparent or semi-transparent cover; collecting urine in a water purification system; and providing purified water extracted from the urine to the mat. A water barrier can be placed below the mat. The cover can be placed on or suspended above the mat. SAP, seeds, and/or additional water barriers can be placed between mats in a stack. The opacity of the cover can be increased to emulate shade from natural vegetation. A water distribution system can be included for continued support of the vegetation, and can include a water reservoir and/or at least one solar still.

A device is provided having a fermentation chamber having one or more inlets to receive a mixed stream to be fermented and an outlet to release fermented product; a distillation vessel surrounding the fermentation chamber having communication with the fermentation chamber outlet to receive fermented product to be distilled and a turbine located within the outlet of the fermentation chamber, the turbine having a rotor rotatable by force of flow of fermented product from the fermentation chamber to the distillation vessel, to generate electricity. A sidewall common to both the fermentation chamber and distillation vessel allows for heat transfer of heat generated from fermentation to the distillation vessel to heat the product to be distilled. A method of fermenting and distilling a product is also provided. The method involves receiving in a fermentation chamber a mixed stream to be fermented; transferring heat energy generated by fermentation to a distillation vessel surrounding the fermentation chamber; allowing pressurized fermented product to flow from the fermentation chamber into the distillation vessel via a turbine and rotating a rotor of the turbine by a force of flow of the fermented product to the distiller to generate electricity.

A device is provided having a fermentation chamber having one or more inlets to receive a mixed stream to be fermented and an outlet to release fermented product; a distillation vessel surrounding the fermentation chamber having communication with the fermentation chamber outlet to receive fermented product to be distilled and a turbine located within the outlet of the fermentation chamber, the turbine having a rotor rotatable by force of flow of fermented product from the fermentation chamber to the distillation vessel, to generate electricity. A sidewall common to both the fermentation chamber and distillation vessel allows for heat transfer of heat generated from fermentation to the distillation vessel to heat the product to be distilled. A method of fermenting and distilling a product is also provided. The method involves receiving in a fermentation chamber a mixed stream to be fermented; transferring heat energy generated by fermentation to a distillation vessel surrounding the fermentation chamber; allowing pressurized fermented product to flow from the fermentation chamber into the distillation vessel via a turbine and rotating a rotor of the turbine by a force of flow of the fermented product to the distiller to generate electricity.

An apparatus for heating fluid and distilling fluid includes a main tank for containing fluid to be heated by a main gas heater and a pilot light for heating the main tank, a condensing tank for passing fluid to the main tank and having one or more heat conducting rods that allow heat to be conducted to the lower region of the condensing tank, an evaporator tank for vaporizing fluid and being heated by the pilot light, a condensing coil for exchanging heat between fluid vaporized by the evaporator tank and fluid in the condensing tank, a holding tank for receiving fluid from a main source, a delaying float bowl tank to receive fluid from the holding tank and including a first fluid flow regulator for regulating fluid flow to the evaporator tank according to an amount of fluid in the delaying float bowl tank, and a distillate tank.

An apparatus for heating fluid and distilling fluid includes a main tank for containing fluid to be heated by a main gas heater and a pilot light for heating the main tank, a condensing tank for passing fluid to the main tank and having one or more heat conducting rods that allow heat to be conducted to the lower region of the condensing tank, an evaporator tank for vaporizing fluid and being heated by the pilot light, a condensing coil for exchanging heat between fluid vaporized by the evaporator tank and fluid in the condensing tank, a holding tank for receiving fluid from a main source, a delaying float bowl tank to receive fluid from the holding tank and including a first fluid flow regulator for regulating fluid flow to the evaporator tank according to an amount of fluid in the delaying float bowl tank, and a distillate tank.

A cold trap has multiple interior spaces formed within one unit such that a vacuum pump pulls only dry air and distillate substantially fully or fully condenses and drops out of the bottom of the device. Laminar flow through a side portal is converted into turbulent flow in a cooling region around a conical cold glass or other inert protrusion. The only other portal of the cooling region is a bottom portal such that though there is vacuum suction, vapors only exit through the bottom portal after condensing and falling through an outer section while dry air is pulled upwards to an upper vacuum portal.

A cold trap has multiple interior spaces formed within one unit such that a vacuum pump pulls only dry air and distillate substantially fully or fully condenses and drops out of the bottom of the device. Laminar flow through a side portal is converted into turbulent flow in a cooling region around a conical cold glass or other inert protrusion. The only other portal of the cooling region is a bottom portal such that though there is vacuum suction, vapors only exit through the bottom portal after condensing and falling through an outer section while dry air is pulled upwards to an upper vacuum portal.