A electron beam irradiation apparatus 1 includes a helping column determination unit 11 that determines, as a helping column, a column having a main irradiation area that is not included in a target irradiation area to be irradiated with an electron beam from among a plurality of columns 2 when information on the target irradiation area is input, and a helped column determination unit 12 that determines, as a helped column for the determined helping column, a column that is adjacent to the helping column and has a main irradiation area included in the target irradiation area from among the plurality of columns 2. A beam scanner 5 of the helping column performs a helping irradiation control for performing electron beam irradiation in the sub-irradiation area of the helping column, thereby irradiating the target irradiation area of the helped column with an electron beam.

According to one embodiment, provided is a deflection sensitivity calculation method for calculating deflection sensitivity of a deflector in an electron beam irradiation apparatus that irradiates an irradiation object on a stage with an electron beam by causing the deflector to deflect the electron beam, the deflection sensitivity calculation method including: irradiating an area that covers an adjustment plate with an electron beam by scanning a deflection parameter that controls deflection of the deflector in a predetermined width; detecting a current value detected from the adjustment plate; forming an image corresponding to the detected current value, a number of pixels of the image being known; calculating the number of pixels of a portion corresponding to the adjustment plate in the formed image; and calculating the deflection sensitivity of the deflector.

Materials (e.g., plant biomass, animal biomass, and municipal waste biomass) are processed to produce useful intermediates and products, such as energy, fuels, foods or materials. For example, systems equipment, and methods are described that can be used to treat feedstock materials, such as cellulosic and/or lignocellulosic materials, using an array of vaults.

Biomass (e.g., plant biomass, animal biomass, and municipal waste biomass) is processed to produce useful intermediates and products, such as energy, fuels, foods or materials. Systems, methods and equipment are described for upgrading process streams using electrodialysis or electrodialysis reversal.

Materials, such as biomass feedstocks (e.g., plant biomass, animal biomass, and municipal waste biomass) are processed to produce useful products, such as fuels. Conveying systems, such as flowing gas conveying systems and such as closed-loop flowing gas conveying systems are described.

Biomass feedstocks (e.g., plant biomass, animal biomass, and municipal waste biomass) are processed to produce useful products, such as fuels. For example, novel systems, methods and equipment for conveying and/or cooling treated biomass are described.

Methods and systems are described for processing cellulosic and lignocellulosic materials and useful intermediates and products, such as energy and fuels. For example, irradiating methods and systems are described to aid in the processing of the cellulosic and lignocellulosic materials. The electron beam accelerator has multiple windows foils and these foils are cooled with cooling gas. In one configuration a secondary foil is integral to the electron beam accelerator and in another configuration the secondary foil is part of the enclosure for the biomass conveying system.

Process for treatment by an ion beam of a glass material where: the acceleration voltage of the ions is between 5 kV and 1000 kV; the temperature of the glass material is less than or equal to the glass transition temperature; the dose of nitrogen (N) or oxygen (O) ions per unit of surface area is chosen within a range of between 10.sup.12 ions/cm.sup.2 and 10.sup.18 ions/cm.sup.2 so as to reduce the contact angle of a drop of water below 20; a prior pretreatment is carried out with argon (Ar), krypton (Kr) or xenon (Xe) ions in order to strengthen the durability of the superhydrophilic treatment. Superhydrophilic glass materials of long duration are thus advantageously obtained.

Biomass (e.g., plant biomass, animal biomass, and municipal waste biomass) is processed to produce useful intermediates and products, such as energy, fuels, foods or materials. For example, systems and methods are described that can be used to treat feedstock materials, such as cellulosic and/or lignocellulosic materials, in two or more vaults that can share a common wall.

Biomass (e.g., plant biomass, animal biomass, and municipal waste biomass) is processed to produce useful intermediates and products, such as energy, fuels, foods or materials. For example, systems and methods are described that can be used to treat feedstock materials, such as cellulosic and/or lignocellulosic materials, in two or more vaults that can share a common wall.