A water based distillation equipment includes a lower boiling vessel for containing plant material and water/steam, and having an open top portion; a heat source for heating the plant material within the lower boiling vessel; and a condenser mechanically connected to the lower boiling vessel so as to cover the open top portion of the lower boiling vessel; and a collection vessel connected to the distillation equipment. The inside walls of the condenser include gutters for collecting hydrolate and condensate within the distillation equipment, and the collection vessel is coupled to the gutters for receiving the collected condensate. The surface area of the condenser is at least about 1.5 times a surface area of the lower boiling vessel.

A water based distillation equipment includes a lower boiling vessel for containing plant material and water/steam, and having an open top portion; a heat source for heating the plant material within the lower boiling vessel; and a condenser mechanically connected to the lower boiling vessel so as to cover the open top portion of the lower boiling vessel; and a collection vessel connected to the distillation equipment. The inside walls of the condenser include gutters for collecting hydrolate and condensate within the distillation equipment, and the collection vessel is coupled to the gutters for receiving the collected condensate. The surface area of the condenser is at least about 1.5 times a surface area of the lower boiling vessel.

The present patent application relates to a compact device with a modular design, and to a method for extracting volatile oils and herbal distillates contained in organic matter, using the extraction technique of steam distillation. The device is formed by a lower cylindrical module on top of which an upper hemispherical module may be disposed, and both modules may be secured to form a single hermetic body. The lower module may contain a hot-water boiler, a heat conducting disc, a steam-heating chamber, a still of raw material, and a valve for regulating the steam flow. The upper module may contain a conical steam condenser, a hemispherical cover, a ring for collecting distilled liquid, and a tube for removing the distilled liquid. The distillation method of internal steam distillation may integrate, in a single physical body, a semi-closed steam flow circuit that may include all the functions of distillation.

The present patent application relates to a compact device with a modular design, and to a method for extracting volatile oils and herbal distillates contained in organic matter, using the extraction technique of steam distillation. The device is formed by a lower cylindrical module on top of which an upper hemispherical module may be disposed, and both modules may be secured to form a single hermetic body. The lower module may contain a hot-water boiler, a heat conducting disc, a steam-heating chamber, a still of raw material, and a valve for regulating the steam flow. The upper module may contain a conical steam condenser, a hemispherical cover, a ring for collecting distilled liquid, and a tube for removing the distilled liquid. The distillation method of internal steam distillation may integrate, in a single physical body, a semi-closed steam flow circuit that may include all the functions of distillation.

A continuous distillation process comprises the following steps: putting a material into a multilayer distillation tower to enable the material to sequentially undergo preheating, extrusion pricking, steam distillation, meal roasting, drying and cooling treatment, condensing essential oil-containing steam, and carrying out water separation, so as to obtain an essential oil.

A continuous distillation process comprises the following steps: putting a material into a multilayer distillation tower to enable the material to sequentially undergo preheating, extrusion pricking, steam distillation, meal roasting, drying and cooling treatment, condensing essential oil-containing steam, and carrying out water separation, so as to obtain an essential oil.

A system and method for producing substantially anhydrous ethanol, methanol or other volatile chemicals includes: (a) a first distillation stripping column or column set with overhead vapors compressed using mechanical vapor recompression to strip off a weak ethanol overheads; (b) a second distillation rectifying column having a higher operating temperature than the stripping column; (c) a dehydration means in fluid communication with the rectifying column; (d) reboiler for the stripping column which partially condenses the vapor from the mechanical vapor recompression, (e) a trim condenser which completes the condensing of the vapor/liquid mix of the reboiler, (f) a heat recovery circuit which condenses the rectifying column overheads and molecular sieve dry ethanol condenser and (g) a heat exchange to transfer the recovered heat of (f) to the first distillation stripping column reboiler feed.

Various aspects of the disclosure relate to methods and systems for extracting oil from plant material. A system may comprise a gas moving device, an extraction chamber, and a condensation surface. Oil of the plant material may be volatized in the extraction chamber and then propelled by the gas moving device to the condensation surface to be collected. In various embodiments, the systems and methods allow the extraction of oil from plant material with little or no solvent.

Various aspects of the disclosure relate to methods and systems for extracting oil from plant material. A system may comprise a gas moving device, an extraction chamber, and a condensation surface. Oil of the plant material may be volatized in the extraction chamber and then propelled by the gas moving device to the condensation surface to be collected. In various embodiments, the systems and methods allow the extraction of oil from plant material with little or no solvent.

The present disclosure is directed to steam generation through the efficient harvesting of solar energy. In particular, the present disclosure is directed to bilayered structures that are cost-effective, scalable and/or biodegradable that provide high steam-generation efficiency.