Patent US9144751

Systems for extracting solute from a source material
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US9144751

1. A system for extracting essential oil from a plant material, the system comprising: (8) (5)

a solvent source container configured to store a solvent;

a canister being: in fluid communication with the solvent source container;

configured to contain the plant material; and

configured to receive solvent from the solvent container in its interior to produce an extract solution having the solvent and the essential oil extracted from the plant material;

an extract container in fluid communication with the canister, the extract container being configured to fluidly receive and collect the extract solution from the canister; and

a heating element thermally coupled with the extract container and configured to heat the extract container to a distilling temperature, the distilling temperature being greater than or equal to a boiling point of the solvent and below a boiling point of the essential oil to produce a post-extraction portion of the essential oil in the extract container,

wherein the solvent source container is in fluid communication with the extract container.

2. The system of claim 1, further comprising a solvent collection container in fluid communication with the extract container and the solvent source container, the solvent collection container configured to: (1) (2)

fluidly receive the post-extraction portion of the solvent; and

direct a portion of a post-extraction solvent to the solvent source container.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein: (1) (3)

the solvent source container defines a solvent source container volume;

the solvent collection container defines a solvent collection container volume; and

the extract container defines an extract container volume that is operatively paired with a total of the solvent source container volume and the solvent collection container volume.

4. The system of claim 3, further comprising: (0) (2)

5. The system of claim 1, wherein (0) (1)

6. The system of claim 1, wherein: (1) (2)

the solvent collection container includes: a solvent collection container input configured to receive liquid post-extraction solvent from the extract container; and

a solvent collection container output configured to allow collected liquid post-extraction solvent to pass to the solvent source container upon the solvent collection container accumulating a predetermined quantity of collected solvent;

the solvent source container includes a solvent source container input configured to receive collected solvent from the solvent collection container.

7. The system of claim 6, further comprising a pump in fluid communication with the solvent source container and in fluid communication with the solvent collection container; and (0) (1)

8. The system of claim 1, further comprising: (0) (2)

9. The system of claim 1, further comprising a pump in fluid communication with the extract container, the pump configured to displace the evaporated post-extraction portion of the solvent from the extract container and to the solvent collection container. (0)

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the extract container includes: (0) (2)

11. The system of claim 1, further comprising a solvent compressor, the solvent compressor configured to: (0) (4)

receive solvent from the solvent source container;

heat the solvent to a predetermined temperature;

compress the solvent to a predetermined pressure, the predetermined temperature and predetermined pressure selected to increase efficiency in extracting solute from the source material; and

communicate the compressed solvent to the canister.

12. The system of claim 1, further comprising a canister interface configured to removably support the canister in fluid communication with the solvent source container and the extract container and to detachably support a supplemental canister in fluid communication with the solvent source container and extract container. (0)

13. A system for extracting solute from a source material, the system comprising: (2) (5)

a solvent source container configured to store a solvent;

a canister detachably connected in fluid communication with the solvent source container and configured to store the source material in its interior, the canister configured to receive solvent from the solvent source container in its interior to produce an extract solution including the solvent and the solute extracted from the source material;

an extract container in fluid communication with the canister, the extract container being configured to receive the extract solution from the canister;

an extract container heating element thermally coupled with the extract container, the heating element configured to heat the extract solution received in the extract container to a distilling temperature, the distilling temperature being greater than or equal to a boiling point of the solvent and below a boiling point of the solute to produce a post-extraction portion of the solvent in the extract container; and

a canister interface configured to removably support the canister in fluid communication with the solvent source container and the extract container and configured to detachably support a supplemental canister in fluid communication with the solvent source container and extract container.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the canister interface includes for each canister: (1) (2)

an input valve configured to selectively adjust between an open position allowing fluid to enter the canister and a closed position restricting fluid entering the canister; and

an output valve configured to selectively adjust between an open position allowing fluid to pass between the canister and the extract container and a closed position restricting fluid from passing between the canister and the extract container.

15. The system of claim 14, further comprising a solvent compressor, the solvent compressor configured to: (0) (4)

receive solvent from the solvent source container;

heat the solvent to a predetermined temperature;

compress the solvent to a predetermined pressure, the predetermined temperature and predetermined pressure selected to increase the efficiency in extracting solute from the source material; and

communicate the solvent to one or more of the canister and the supplemental canister.

16. The system of claim 13, further comprising a removably coupled canister heating element that is thermally coupled to the canister when the canister is coupled with the canister interface. (0)

17. A system for extracting solute from a source material, the system comprising: (3) (7)

a solvent source container configured to store a solvent;

a canister in fluid communication with the solvent source container and configured to store the source material in its interior, the canister configured to receive solvent from the solvent source container in its interior to produce an extract solution including the solvent and the solute extracted from the source material;

an extract container in fluid communication with the canister, the extract container being configured to receive the extract solution from the canister

a heating element thermally coupled with the extract container, the heating element configured to heat the extract solution received in the extract container to a distilling temperature, the distilling temperature being greater than or equal to a boiling point of the solvent and below a boiling point of the solute to produce an evaporated post-extraction portion of the solvent and a post-extraction portion of the solute in the extract container;

a solvent collection container in fluid communication with the extract container and in fluid communication with the solvent source container, the solvent collection container configured to fluidly receive the post-extraction portion of the solvent from the extract container and add the post-extraction portion of the solvent to a collected quantity of the solvent;

a solvent collection line connected between the extract container and the solvent collection container, the solvent collection line configured to transmit the post-extraction portion of the solvent from the extract container to the solvent collection container; and

a coolant thermally coupled with the solvent collection line, the coolant defining a predetermined condensing temperature selected to condense the post-extraction portion of the solvent to a liquid prior to being received by the solvent collection container.

18. The system of claim 17, further comprising: (0) (3)

19. The system of claim 17, further comprising a coolant loop line, the coolant loop line: (0) (5)

being in fluid communication with the coolant line at a coolant loop junction;

being configured to input fluid from the coolant line at the coolant loop junction;

being configured to output fluid to the coolant line at the coolant loop junction; and

including an expansion valve configured to evaporate input coolant along at least a portion of the length of the coolant loop line

wherein: the coiled portion of the coolant line defines a first coiled portion of the coolant line;

the coolant line defines a second coiled portion spaced from the first coiled portion; and

the coolant loop line defines a third coiled portion, the third coiled portion of the coolant loop line being engaged with the second coiled portion of the coolant line.

20. The system of claim 17, further comprising a canister interface configured to removably support the canister in fluid communication with the solvent source container and the extract container and to detachably support a supplemental canister in fluid communication with the solvent source container and extract container. (0)

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Patent US9144751

Systems for extracting solute from a source material

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