Systems and processes are provided for upgrading a crude oil. In some examples, a heated crude oil can be introduced into an atmospheric distillation column where an overhead gas product comprising C.sub.4 hydrocarbons can be recovered and recycled back to the atmospheric distillation column to decrease the partial pressure of the C.sub.5+ hydrocarbons in the distillation column allowing higher boiling point fractions of crude oil to be vaporized and recovered.

A method of crude oil fractionation without using a vacuum distillation unit can include: introducing a crude oil feed having been preheated to an atmospheric distillation tower; introducing steam according to one of: (a) into the atmospheric heater at a weight ratio of 0.1:1 to 5:1 of the steam to the crude oil feed, (b) into the atmospheric distillation tower at a weight ratio of 0.1:1 to 5:1 of the steam to the crude oil feed, or (c) both (a) and (b); and distilling the crude oil feed in the atmospheric distillation tower into a plurality of cuts including an atmospheric bottoms cut having a boiling point of 800+ F. to 950+ F.

A method of crude oil fractionation without using a vacuum distillation unit can include: introducing a crude oil feed having been preheated to an atmospheric distillation tower; introducing steam according to one of: (a) into the atmospheric heater at a weight ratio of 0.1:1 to 5:1 of the steam to the crude oil feed, (b) into the atmospheric distillation tower at a weight ratio of 0.1:1 to 5:1 of the steam to the crude oil feed, or (c) both (a) and (b); and distilling the crude oil feed in the atmospheric distillation tower into a plurality of cuts including an atmospheric bottoms cut having a boiling point of 800+ F. to 950+ F.

A production system for improving yield of bayberry juice includes a steam generator, a main body, a feed hopper, an extraction device, a cooling liquid tank and a collection container. A method for improving yield of bayberry juice includes the following steps. Bayberries are selected, soaked, cleaned, squeezed, distilled and condensed. The bayberries are distilled and condensed after ordinary squeezing, which improves the yield of bayberry juice and avoiding the waste of nutrients in the bayberry.

In a system and process for selectively purifying various pharmacologically-relevant components of a source plant such as cannabis, an initial step provides a low-temperature, robust essential oil/terpene capture that also dehydrates and decarboxylates the starting productfresh raw cannabisby means of a vacuum-assisted microwave distillation process. By doing the terpene capture under vacuum distillation temperature may be kept low. The low distillation temperature maximizes yields of thermally-sensitive components such as terpenes and cannabinoids. The system includes an oil/water separator configured to prevent leakage of ambient air into the system.

In a system and process for selectively purifying various pharmacologically-relevant components of a source plant such as cannabis, an initial step provides a low-temperature, robust essential oil/terpene capture that also dehydrates and decarboxylates the starting productfresh raw cannabisby means of a vacuum-assisted microwave distillation process. By doing the terpene capture under vacuum distillation temperature may be kept low. The low distillation temperature maximizes yields of thermally-sensitive components such as terpenes and cannabinoids. The system includes an oil/water separator configured to prevent leakage of ambient air into the system.

A system and method for separating desirable elements from typically undesirable byproducts of a cannabis extraction system is disclosed. The system and method may separate terpenes and/or THC from residue byproducts that may typically be discarded as waste. The system and method includes at least two unique steps of refinement that may result in purity levels of 90% for the terpenes and 90% for the THC.

A system and method for separating desirable elements from typically undesirable byproducts of a cannabis extraction system is disclosed. The system and method may separate terpenes and/or THC from residue byproducts that may typically be discarded as waste. The system and method includes at least two unique steps of refinement that may result in purity levels of 90% for the terpenes and 90% for the THC.

The present invention discloses a system and a method for continuously preparing furfural using an acid-containing pentose solution. The system comprises a stripping reaction column, a separation unit, and a purification unit. The method comprises a stripping reaction step, a separation step, and a purification step. The system and the method of the present invention can use a liquid inorganic acid as a catalyst, has a strong catalytic capability and a low reaction temperature, and is capable of treating low concentration sugar liquids. The present invention adopts heating through directly vapor stripping to rapidly carry away a generated furfural along with the vapor while reacting a pentose, avoiding side reactions of the furfural in an acidic liquid environment. The reaction process of the present invention does not require any extracting agent, and the furfural carried away along with the vapor is easy to separate after cooling. The whole process has a reasonable design, high furfural yields and low unit energy consumption.

An apparatus and a method for plant extraction are disclosed. The apparatus of the present invention comprises an extraction module, a separating module and a reservoir. The method essentially includes plant material preparing, decarboxylating, active components extracting and separating. By using liquid tetrafluoroethane as the solvent in the apparatus of the present invention, the active components of the plant material are efficiently extracted under low pressure extraction and high pressure extraction conditions.