Vacuum storage of perishables and cyclindrical storage vessel method, system, and apparatus

A system to manage environmental conditions within a vacuum chamber to preserve perishable products within the vacuum chamber, the system comprising:

• a vacuum chamber, wherein the vacuum chamber is to contain a perishable item in low gas pressure conditions;
• a vacuum pump, wherein the vacuum pump is to reduce total gas pressure in the vacuum chamber to below an upper total gas pressure limit;
• an inlet valve, wherein the inlet valve is to admit an oxygen-containing gas into the vacuum chamber;
• a pressure sensor, wherein the pressure sensor is to monitor a total gas pressure in the vacuum chamber;
• an oxygen sensor, wherein the oxygen sensor is to monitor an oxygen partial pressure in the vacuum chamber;
• a control system, wherein the control system is to be coupled to the vacuum pump, the inlet valve, the pressure sensor and the oxygen sensor;
• wherein the control system is to activate the vacuum pump to reduce the total gas pressure in the vacuum chamber below the upper total gas pressure limit, is to determine according to the oxygen sensor that the oxygen partial pressure in the vacuum chamber is below a lower oxygen partial pressure limit, is to open the inlet valve to admit the oxygen-containing gas into the vacuum chamber, and is to obtain the total gas pressure in the vacuum chamber from the pressure sensor, and
• wherein the vacuum chamber comprises a section of stiff cylindrical pipe open at both ends and formed of a plastic material;
• a first end cap detachably secured to a first end of the section of stiff cylindrical pipe in sealing engagement therewith to form a vacuum resistant seal between the first end cap and the first end of the section of stiff cylindrical pipe;
• and a second end cap secured to a second end of the section of stiff cylindrical pipe in sealing engagement therewith to form a vacuum resistant seal between the second end cap and the second end of the section of stiff cylindrical pipe;
• wherein the section of stiff cylindrical pipe comprises at least two layers formed of a plastic material, wherein a first layer of the at least two layers formed of the plastic material is straight-walled and a second layer of the at least two layers formed of the plastic material comprises corrugations.