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AssigneeChiquita Brands International Inc.
InventorsRichard F. Macleod, Frederick Robert Forgnone, William Garrison Lester
Estimating the term…
A scrubber for controlling carbon dioxide levels in a shipping container containing respiring produce is disclosed. The scrubber is relatively small, utilizes a gas-selective membrane having a CO2/O2 selectivity ratio greater than 1:1, and fits inside the shipping container (such as a sea van container). In contrast to current methods of controlling CO2 levels in shipping containers, such as the use of hydrated lime, the scrubbers of the present invention are efficient, relatively inexpensive, do not take up shipping space within the container, and do not present handling or disposal issues. A method for controlling the carbon dioxide levels inside a shipping container containing respiring produce, utilizing the carbon dioxide scrubbers defined, is also disclosed.
A carbon dioxide scrubber, structurally adapted for use inside a shipping container containing respiring produce, comprising an air-tight plenum chamber formed by an outer wall, at least a portion of said outer wall made up of a gas-selective membrane having a CO2/O2 selectivity ratio greater than 1:1;
A method for controlling the CO2 levels inside a shipping container containing respiring produce, comprising placing inside said container a carbon dioxide scrubber comprising an air-tight plenum chamber formed by an outer wall, at least a portion of said outer wall made up of a gas-selective membrane having a CO2/O2 selectivity ratio greater than 1:1, an air intake means for conveying air into the interior of the plenum chamber, and an air output means for conveying air out of the interior of the plenum chamber, wherein the air intake means and the air output means connect the plenum chamber with the atmosphere outside the shipping container;
A carbon dioxide scrubber, structurally adapted for use inside a shipping container containing respiring produce, comprising an air-tight plenum chamber formed by an outer wall, at least a portion of said outer wall made up of a gas-selective membrane having a CO2/O2 selectivity ratio less than 1:1;
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.