Fumigating products in an enclosed space using successive desorption of gas from multiple sources

摘要

An apparatus and method for fumigating products (2) in an enclosed space (4) is disclosed. A fumigant such as methyl bromide is successively desorbed, circulated and then absorbed by an adsorption means (15) such as activated carbon in each flow-though module (13). This allows not only reusing the fumigant but also the ability to increase the available fumigant during fumigation by releasing from a number of modules (13) in succession. Each modules (13) contains an activating means (16) which heats the adsorption means (15) to release the fumigant. A cooling means (17) may also be included in each module to further enhance the ability of the module to absorb the fumigant. A control unit (25) sequences the necessary steps to perform the fumigation, controlling the valves (21, 22), pump (6) and collecting data from various sensors (31, 32, 33) that measure the concentration of fumigant in various areas.