In one aspect, a preparation method for a bifacial solar cell utilizes a method of deposition and then bombardment to form an intrinsic silicon layer, thus enhancing an ablation resistance of a solar cell, reducing a metal composite loss and a filing coefficient, and significantly improving an efficiency of an obtained solar cell. Moreover, in the bifacial solar cell of the present disclosure, compared with a second crystalline silicon doped layer, the intrinsic silicon layer has a higher number of SiH connected to mono-hydrogen atoms, a lower number of SiH.sub.2 connected to dihydrogen atoms, and fewer carrier recombination defects in the intrinsic silicon layer, thus improving field passivation performance.

The invention relates to a method and a device for treating foods and/or containers for holding foods. The foods and/or containers (2) are treated in at least one treatment zone (4) by a process liquid (3), wherein the process liquid (3) is at least partially recirculated into the treatment zone (4) or the treatment zones (4) after completed treatment of the foods and/or the containers (2). It is provided herein that during continuous treatment at least some or all of the process liquid (3) is used per time unit to form at least one stream (20) of the process liquid (3), the formed stream (20) is filtered by at least one membrane filtration system (19), and a filtered stream (46) is at least partially fed back into an element (8) holding and/or conducting the process liquid (3) and/or into a treatment zone (4).

A thermal treatment apparatus includes a pair of heat exchangers and an intake that receives a main flow of filling material and a branch that diverts filling material to form a branch flow. The branch flow takes a part of the heat energy used in a primary process for use in a secondary process. It then rejoins the main flow.

Provided is a sterilization processing line resulting from an upstream tank (16) and a downstream tank (17) that each retain a product liquid being connected by a duct (18) that transfers the product liquid, a high-temperature heating unit (21) that sterilizes the product liquid being provided to the intermediate section of the duct, one or a plurality of stages of heating units (22, 23) that heat the product liquid in stages being provided to the duct reaching from the upstream tank to the high-temperature heating unit, and one or a plurality of stages of cooling units (24, 25, 26) that cool the product liquid in stages being provided to the duct reaching from the high-temperature processing unit to the downstream tank. A plurality of parallel intermediate duct systems (P, Q) are provided at the interval from the heating unit (23) at the stage that is in a temperature range at which burning to the product liquid can occur to the cooling unit (24) at the stage that similarly is in the temperature range at which burning to the product liquid can occur, and the sterilization processing and the CIP and positive pressure holding processing of the product liquid transferred from the upstream tank to the downstream tank are performed switching between the parallel plurality of intermediate duct systems.

A method and a system of devices for continuous sterilization or pasteurization of foodstuffs contained in specific rigid containers, followed by continuous deep-vacuum sealing of the containers. The evacuation is obtained by rotary steam injection between the lids and the receptacles followed by sealing of the containers and cold showering that brings about condensation of the steam inside the container and consequently a deep vacuum. This results in a long-lasting deep-vacuum preservation of the food under organoleptic and nutritional quality conditions with a drastic reduction in the cooling time of the containers after sterilization or pasteurization, The reduction in cooling time is obtained by a low-temperature boiling under vacuum, which boiling is homogeneously distributed throughout the whole of the container. It is particularly suitable for pasty or liquid products or products in chunks included in a liquid or pasty mixture.

A method and apparatus for changing all or part of the skinsheet of a rotary drum blancher/cooler from being clean in place totally removable is disclosed. The drum includes the skinsheet (in sections) with a plurality of clamps and catches. Each catch is comprised of two catchesa clean in place catch and a totally removable catch. Each clamp is attached to a section and has an clamping position and a release position, and includes a bail. When a clamp is in the clamping position and its bail is in either the clean in place catch or the totally removable catch of a corresponding catch on an adjacent second section, the catch and clamp hold the adjacent sections together to form a part of the drum. When the clamp is in the release position and the bail is in the clean in place catch of the adjacent section, the clamp and clean in place catch allow adjacent sections to separate, but do not allow them to be removed.

A system includes a vacuum chamber, a vacuum source, and a mixture flow path adapted to be connected to receive the output of a direct steam injector. The vacuum source is operatively connected to a vacuum port of the vacuum chamber, while a product outlet port from the vacuum chamber is adapted to be connected to an arrangement for removing treated product from the vacuum chamber. The mixture flow path includes a flow path segment outside of the vacuum chamber volume and a flow path segment within the vacuum chamber volume. At least some of a surface defining the flow path segment within the vacuum chamber is in substantial thermal communication with one or more cooling structures.

A system comprising a first body arranged to hold liquid products and a second body arranged to hold liquid products, wherein a first end of the second body is adjacent to the first body. Sterile air is provided into the first end of the product in order to avoid heating of a product present in the first body.

Method for pasteurizing almonds and other nuts with steam at atmospheric pressure. The amount of condensation on and the consequent water uptake of nuts is limited by pasteurizing the nuts in a heating chamber with a gaseous atmosphere including a steam mixture and forming a forced-convection path through the nuts. The limited water uptake maintains the quality of the nuts. A forced-convection steam cooker conveying food products on a foraminous conveyor belt forces the steam mixture through the nuts. A preheater preheats the nuts so that they can be pasteurized in the steam cooker at a temperature of between 85 C. and 99 C. to reduce the dwell time and increase throughput.

A thermal processing apparatus includes a conveyor belt for supporting work products during thermal processing that moves along a spiral path moving in a first direction arranged as a first tiered stack and then moves along a spiral path in a second direction arranged as a second tiered stack. A circulation system induces gaseous thermal processing medium from the tiers of the first and second spiral conveyor belt stacks and forces the thermal processing medium through a heat exchanger and then back to the tiers of the spiral conveyor belt stacks. The first tiered stack is divided into a first processing zone and a second processing zone, and the second tiered stack is divided into a third processing zone and fourth processing zone. A source of thermal processing medium is directed at the first processing zone to thermally treat the work product in the first zone by enhanced heat transfer. Optionally, a source of thermal processing medium is directed at the fourth processing zone to complete the thermally treatment the work product.