Method for determining the temperature of products transported on the conveyor belt of a cryogenic tunnel, comprising the following steps: —continuously measuring the surface temperature of products travelling on the conveyor belt; —measuring the thickness of a product at the point where the temperature measurement is taken; —performing the following evaluation: a. when the thickness of the product is within a certain range, then the temperature measured for said product is considered to be a reliable value; b. when the thickness of the product is outside the range, then the last temperature value of the measured product is considered to be a reliable value according to paragraph a) above; c. after a determined period of time during which the measured thickness is outside the range, it is concluded that there are no products on the conveyor belt and the temperature measurements are no longer taken into account.

Method for determining the temperature of products transported on the conveyor belt of a cryogenic tunnel, comprising the following steps: —continuously measuring the surface temperature of products travelling on the conveyor belt; —measuring the thickness of a product at the point where the temperature measurement is taken; —performing the following evaluation: a. when the thickness of the product is within a certain range, then the temperature measured for said product is considered to be a reliable value; b. when the thickness of the product is outside the range, then the last temperature value of the measured product is considered to be a reliable value according to paragraph a) above; c. after a determined period of time during which the measured thickness is outside the range, it is concluded that there are no products on the conveyor belt and the temperature measurements are no longer taken into account.

Disclosed is a system for providing a desired amount of cooling to a quantity of non-liquid conveyable product in a vessel within a given length of residence time in the vessel, comprising:

(A) continuously feeding a mass of non-liquid conveyable product into a vessel, through the interior of the vessel, and out of the vessel, at a rate that provides a given predetermined length of residence time within the interior of the vessel, wherein the non-liquid conveyable product is moved through the interior of the vessel by engagement thereof with an impeller that is positioned in the interior of the vessel; and (B) feeding cryogen out of a plurality of nozzle openings directly into or onto the non-liquid conveyable product in the interior of the vessel while the impeller is moving the non-liquid conveyable product continuously past the nozzle openings, wherein the cryogen is fed into said non-liquid conveyable product from a sufficient number of said nozzle openings to provide the desired amount of cooling to the non-liquid conveyable product within the given period of residence time in the vessel, and wherein the flow of cryogen out of each nozzle opening is continuous or intermittent.

Disclosed is a system for providing a desired amount of cooling to a quantity of non-liquid conveyable product in a vessel within a given length of residence time in the vessel, comprising:

(A) continuously feeding a mass of non-liquid conveyable product into a vessel, through the interior of the vessel, and out of the vessel, at a rate that provides a given predetermined length of residence time within the interior of the vessel, wherein the non-liquid conveyable product is moved through the interior of the vessel by engagement thereof with an impeller that is positioned in the interior of the vessel; and (B) feeding cryogen out of a plurality of nozzle openings directly into or onto the non-liquid conveyable product in the interior of the vessel while the impeller is moving the non-liquid conveyable product continuously past the nozzle openings, wherein the cryogen is fed into said non-liquid conveyable product from a sufficient number of said nozzle openings to provide the desired amount of cooling to the non-liquid conveyable product within the given period of residence time in the vessel, and wherein the flow of cryogen out of each nozzle opening is continuous or intermittent.

A horizontal axis rotary separation apparatus is deployed in a process for separating resinous trichomes rich in flavoring, aromatic and/or medicinal components produced in plant trichome glands from unwanted plant matter. The process physically separates resin rich beads at the trichome gland head from extraneous plant matter by one or move separation sieves. The sieves are provided in or as a casing over a rigid frame member. The sieves are mesh fabric bags or screen that are easily opened and replenished in a batch operating mode, and are removable from the frame for cleaning and maintenance. Other aspects of the invention include processes that improve process efficiency and speed, and yield products of superior quality.

A high-precision control system and method for shipborne cryogenic flash freezing of an aquatic product using liquid nitrogen is described. The system may include a main control system, a display unit, a liquid nitrogen supply system, a valve control unit, an acquisition unit, and a power unit. A flash freezing process is divided into four stages: a precooling stage, a flash freezing stage, a deep freezing stage, and a thermal insulation stage. Different cooling rates and flash freezing times are used for different stages, where a cooling rate is used in the flash freezing stage is the highest, a cooling rate used in the deep freezing stage is next, a cooling rate used in the precooling stage is the lowest, and an ambient temperature in a device is kept stable in the thermal insulation stage.

A high-precision control system and method for shipborne cryogenic flash freezing of an aquatic product using liquid nitrogen is described. The system may include a main control system, a display unit, a liquid nitrogen supply system, a valve control unit, an acquisition unit, and a power unit. A flash freezing process is divided into four stages: a precooling stage, a flash freezing stage, a deep freezing stage, and a thermal insulation stage. Different cooling rates and flash freezing times are used for different stages, where a cooling rate is used in the flash freezing stage is the highest, a cooling rate used in the deep freezing stage is next, a cooling rate used in the precooling stage is the lowest, and an ambient temperature in a device is kept stable in the thermal insulation stage.

An automated cryogenic storage system includes a freezer and an automation system to provide automated transfer of samples to and from the freezer. The freezer includes a bearing and a drive shaft though the freezer, the drive shaft being coupled to a rack carrier inside the freezer and adapted to be coupled to a motor. The automation module includes a rack puller that is automatically positioned above an access port of the freezer. The rack puller engages with a sample rack within the freezer, and elevates the rack into an insulating sleeve external to the freezer. From the insulating sleeve, samples can be added to and removed from the sample rack before it is returned to the freezer.

An automated cryogenic storage system includes a freezer and an automation system to provide automated transfer of samples to and from the freezer. The freezer includes a bearing and a drive shaft though the freezer, the drive shaft being coupled to a rack carrier inside the freezer and adapted to be coupled to a motor. The automation module includes a rack puller that is automatically positioned above an access port of the freezer. The rack puller engages with a sample rack within the freezer, and elevates the rack into an insulating sleeve external to the freezer. From the insulating sleeve, samples can be added to and removed from the sample rack before it is returned to the freezer.

A device for the handling and the low-temperature storage of probe tubes in tube racks includes a low-temperature compartment having insulated side and bottom walls and at least one opening at a top side. The compartment is used for storing at least one tube rack at a low temperature. The device has a holder apparatus comprising a rack holder for holding a tube rack and a picker apparatus comprising a gripper adapted to remove and insert individual tubes from or into a tube rack held by the holder. The holder apparatus is adapted to displace the rack holder between an upper rack position outside low-temperature compartment above the opening and a lower rack position inside the compartment. The picker apparatus is adapted to displace the gripper between an upper gripper position outside the compartment above the opening and a lower gripper position inside the compartment below the opening.