Importance

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Abstract

In a refrigerated fruit store 1, the atmosphere is controlled to low levels of oxygen and carbon dioxide using an activated carbon bed 2, by continuously repeating the following cycle of operations: (1) expose the carbon in the bed 2 to the atmosphere in the fruit store 1, until saturated with CO.sub.2 (12 minutes); (2) evacuate the bed 2, down to 7 kPa, to the gas reservoir 5, whereby the O.sub.2 and N.sub.2 (but not CO.sub.2) are released in 'fruit store' proportions into the reservoir (2 minutes); (3) expose the bed 2 to air to purge it of the CO.sub.2 (18 minutes); (4) evacuate the bed 2 to waste (7 kPa is adequate) to remove O.sub.2 and N.sub.2, which would otherwise remain in the bed in substantially 'air' proportions (i.e. excessive oxygen) (2 minutes); (5) expose the bed 2 to the gas put in the reservoir 5 at operation (2) above, so that the bed 2 now contains O.sub.2 and N.sub.2 in 'fruit store' proportions (2 minutes); (1) expose the adsorptive medium to chamber atmosphere; and so forth indefinitely.

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First Claim