Methods and systems are described for processing cellulosic and lignocellulosic materials into useful intermediates and products, such as energy and fuels. For example, conveying systems and methods, such as highly efficient vibratory conveyors, are described for the processing of the cellulosic and lignocellulosic materials.

A method for producing silicon using microwave and a microwave reduction furnace for use therewith are disclosed, with which it is possible to quickly reduce silica to quickly produce silicon. A material of a mixture of a silica powder and a graphite powder of a mixture of a silica powder, a silicon carbide powder and a graphite powder is set in a refractory chamber. Then, the material set in the chamber is irradiated with microwave. The graphite powder absorbs a microwave energy to increase the temperature, after which silica and graphite react with each other to further increase the temperature while producing silicon carbide, and the heated silica and silicon carbide react with each other. SiO produced through this reaction and silicon carbide are allowed to react with each other, thereby producing high-purity silicon.

A substance is treated using a device having: (a) a volute or cyclone head, (b) a throat connected to the volute or cyclone head, (c) a parabolic reflector connected to the throat, (d) a first wave energy source comprising a first electrode within the volute or cyclone head that extends through the outlet into the opening of the throat along the central axis, and a second electrode extending into the parabolic reflector and spaced apart and axially aligned with first electrode, and (e) a second wave energy source disposed inside the throat, embedded within the throat or disposed around the throat. The substance is directed to the inlet of the volute or cyclone head and irradiated with one or more wave energies produced by the first and second wave energy sources as the substance passes through the device.

Band-pass filters for guiding or controlling crystal polymorphism in oil are provided. Band-pass filters convert a passive energy source to a spectral energy pattern tuned to be resonant with different types of molecular oscillations pertinent to oil. Tuned energy patterns convert problematic insoluble crystals to more thermodynamically stable and soluble crystals. Methods include use of the band-pass filter in crude oil recovery and design of band-pass filter parameters for optimal use on a particular oil recovery facility. Band-pass filters also lower the interfacial tension of oil when present with water, which are also provided, as are methods for enhanced recovery of oil from depleted oil fields.

Methods, systems, and apparatuses for producing one or more of trioxygen, reactive nitrogen species, hydrogen and its ions, oxygen and its ions, and electronically modified oxygen derivatives from oxidizing agents that are exposed to certain frequencies of photon/phonon emissions, exposed for certain amounts of time, and exposed to certain intensities of photon/phonon emissions. The oxidizing agent or oxidizing agents can be exposed to multiple frequencies and wavelengths of photon/phonon emissions and multiple exposures of photon/phonon emissions. The methods displayed provide a new paradigm to perform photocatalytic oxidation of substrates using photon/phonon emissions and/or MPA as energy input, trioxygen, hydrogen and oxygen and its isotopes as the catalysts and oxidizing agents as the oxygen source and the elimination or reduction of dissociation reactions to minimize hindrances to the reactions.

Band-pass filters for guiding or controlling crystal polymorphism in oil are provided. Band-pass filters convert a passive energy source to a spectral energy pattern tuned to be resonant with different types of molecular oscillations pertinent to oil. Tuned energy patterns convert problematic insoluble crystals to more thermodynamically stable and soluble crystals. Methods include use of the band-pass filter in crude oil recovery and design of band-pass filter parameters for optimal use on a particular oil recovery facility. Band-pass filters also lower the interfacial tension of oil when present with water, which are also provided, as are methods for enhanced recovery of oil from depleted oil fields.

A cassette system capable of a germicidal treatment of highly opaque liquids, featuring a filter, which prevents wavelengths above the UV-C spectrum reaching the liquid being treated, one or more spiral-shaped tubes extending from an inlet end to an outlet end creating a fluidic pathway, and one or more light sources illuminating the one or more spiral-shaped tubes, wherein the one or more light sources emit light in a wavelength range between 180-300 nm.

A device includes a rotatable centrifuge container that includes a process cavity, at least one inlet into the process cavity, and at least one outlet out of the process cavity. A thermal target is disposed in the process cavity. A laser source is configured to emit a laser beam into the process cavity onto the thermal target. The laser beam heats the thermal target and the thermal target heats the process cavity.

The present disclosure relates generally to reactor systems that include (a) a housing having an interior surface that may be at least partially reflective, (b) at least one reactor cell disposed within an interior of the housing, the at least one reactor cell including an enclosure and a plasmonic photocatalyst on a catalyst support disposed within the at least one enclosure, where the enclosure is optically transparent and includes at least one inlet for a reactant to enter the at least one cell and at least one outlet for a reformate to exit the at least one cell and (c) at least one light source disposed within the interior of the housing and/or external to the housing. At least one light-management feature and/or at least one thermal-management feature is applied to the reactor cell, reactor system, or a reformer system comprising many reactor systems, in order to improve efficiency.

The present invention concerns the fabrication of large graphene electrodes. In the electrolysis of water or in the operation of a hydrogen fuel cell. the electrical conductivity is important to reduce the energy consumption. Titanium electrodes are widely used but their conductivity is only about 4% of copper. Graphene is 70% more conductive than copper and is chemically stable provided there are no metal ions in the electrolyte. By irradiating a mixture of carbon dioxide gas and hydrogen gas quantities of graphene can readily be produced which can then be manufactured into large electrodes by way of the described press formation.