Method and equipment for removing dissolved oxygen from grapes or other plant products and for maintaining them in a controlled atmosphere in mechanical means for harvesting, transport and storage

A system for removing the oxygen dissolved in, and maintaining a level of oxygen in a controlled atmosphere of, a plant product present in both liquid and solid phases in a mechanical harvesting, transporting and storage device, said system comprising a collection tank for inclusion in the mechanical harvesting, transporting, and storage device, a gaseous CO2-enriched fluid feed line, and a sublimation circuit, wherein:

• said collection tank is provided with a separated piercing element defining in said collection tank a lower portion and an upper portion, said collection tank receiving said product in both liquid and solid states;
• said sublimation circuit comprises:
• a sublimer container adapted to contain and sublime solid CO2 to produce a flow of a gaseous CO2-enriched fluid,
• a heat exchanger,
• ducts directing the flow of the gaseous CO2-enriched fluid into and out said heat exchanger and into and out of said sublimer,
• a vent for venting an atmosphere within said sublimation circuit and reducing an oxygen level of the gaseous CO2-enriched fluid until a desired oxygen level in the CO2-enriched fluid is achieved, and
• a heating line receiving fluid heated by a heat source and feeding said heated fluid to said heat exchanger;
• said heat exchanger is adapted and configured to exchange heat between the heated fluid and the flow of the gaseous CO2-enriched fluid;
• the heat source is selected from the group consisting of an ambient atmosphere, a heating circuit;
• and an engine of a mechanical harvesting, transporting and storage device;
• said sublimer is separated from the collection tank;
• and
• said gaseous CO2-enriched fluid feed line is in fluid communication between said sublimation circuit and said lower portion of said collection tank for applying the gaseous CO2-enriched fluid to the product in said collection tank and for removing at least some of the oxygen dissolved in the liquid phase of the product contained in said collection tank and maintaining an oxygen level in an atmosphere inside said collection tank, wherein said system is configured to:
• vent an atmosphere within the sublimation circuit until a desired oxygen level in the CO2-enriched fluid is achieved, and
• feed gaseous CO2-enriched fluid from the sublimer to the collection tank via said gaseous CO2-enriched fluid feed line as solid CO2 in the sublimer is being sublimated.