DESCRIPTION

TECHNICAL FIELD

This invention deals with the processing of materials. More specifically, the invention deals with a method and device for processing inorganic, organic and/or biological matter, so as to alter - that is to say accelerate, slow down or modify - the chemical-physical reactivity of the processed materials. In other words, the embodiments of this invention allow the manner in which one or more chemical-physical reactions proceed over time in a mass of material to be controlled.

PRIOR ART

It is well known that electromagnetic waves or radiation are able to interact with matter and have various types of effects, depending on the characteristics of the applied electromagnetic waves (e.g. frequency and energy) and of the radiated matter (e.g. molecular structure). For example, it is well known that electromagnetic waves in the infrared spectrum are able to stimulate certain cells and/or microorganisms, while electromagnetic waves in the ultraviolet-spectrum can cause an inhibition of cellular activities, to the point of causing the death of a cell and/or a microorganism.

In general terms, electric, magnetic, and electromagnetic fields interact with both conductive and dielectric materials, typically by transferring energy to them and/or orienting polarized particles and/or molecules comprised in those materials.

Radiating biological systems with electromagnetic radiation can cause different effects, depending on intensity, wavelengths, etc. and the type of biological system under examination. For example, radiating with electromagnetic radiation can give rise to the accumulation of negative electrical charges within tissues due to the piezoelectric effect of proteins, the variation of the electrical potential of cell membranes, an increase of intra-cellular and extra-cellular ion exchanges at cell membrane level, changes in the permeability of the cell membrane, the activation of enzymatic reactions, the variation of excitability of the neuromuscular plate and axon in vertebrates, the reduction of the time required for bone consolidation after a fracture, the alteration of the cell metabolism and respiration, the reduction of blood viscosity, which reduces erythrocyte aggregation.

Furthermore, the energy absorbed by electromagnetic waves underlies, in a large number of biological systems, photochemical reactions, particularly redox reactions and chlorophyll photosynthesis.

For example, US 2015/0173380 describes a method and apparatus that exploits such principles to amplify electrical charges in a biological system or a bioactive matter. More specifically this comprises the use of an inductive disk containing an etched, printed or glued conductive material in the form of a coil having a specific geometric shape that is arranged in such a manner that the natural flow of electrically charged particles, such as electrons or protons, activates the inductive properties of the inductive disk, so at to generate an induced electromagnetic signal in the coil. US 2010/255458 discloses a bioreactor comprising a container for culturing a photoautotrophic organism and a light source configured to emit one or more wavelengths of light reaching said container. The one or more wavelengths of light can be regulated based on the growth of said photoautotrophic organism. The bioreactor also comprises a light conducting channel linked to said light source, wherein said light conducting channel has a surface area that distributes light from at least about 50% of the exterior surface area of the said channel.

Z. Zhang, H. Zhang, Y. Li, C. Lu, S. Zhu, C. He, F. Ai, Q. Zhang: “Investigation of the interaction between lighting and mixing applied during the photo-fermentation biohydrogen production process from agricultural waste”, Bioresource Technology, Volume 312, 2020, describes a system for producing hydrogen from agricultural waste by exploiting photosynthetic bacteria. The system is used to analyze the effect of various configurations of lighting and mixing on hydrogen production, monitoring the hydrogen yield, the hydrogen production rate, ODsso, pH, and the reduction of sugar concentration.

D. Hu, R. Zhou, Y. Sun, L. Tong, M. Li, H. Zhang: ‘Construction of closed integrative system for gases robust stabilization employing microalgae peculiarity and computer experiment”, Ecological Engineering, Volume 44, 2012, Pages 78-87, describes a Bioregenerative life support system (BLSS). The system under examination is a closed integrative system (CIS) composed of lettuce, silkworm and microalgae built as a result of studies conducted in connection with the gas dynamics in the said system and their closed-loop regulation and control, whereby microalgae are used as a bioregenerative tool. The system includes a control apparatus configured to regulate the light intensity and aerating rate inside the CIS, so as to stimulate or inhibit the growth of microalgae based on real-time measurements of gas concentrations, and keep the said gas concentrations within nominal levels.

The Applicant has observed that the response to such electromagnetic or vibrational stimuli is not constant over time and, in particular, in the case of material of organic origin and especially in biological systems such as living organisms, various mechanisms are established that mitigate the effects of an external stimulus. In other words, there is an adaptation, or inurement, to the event stimulus that makes said stimulus increasingly inefficient.

PURPOSES AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The purpose of this invention is to overcome the drawbacks of the prior art.

The purpose of this invention is, in particular, that of disclosing a method and a related device capable of controlling - and in particular stimulating and/or inhibiting - one or more chemical-physical reactions in a mass of processed material in an effective, long-lasting and reliable manner, whereby a chemical-physical reaction is construed as a reaction capable of changing the chemical composition, chemical properties and/or physical properties of the mass of material or, at least, of a part thereof.

These and other purposes of this invention are achieved by means of a device incorporating the features of the attached claims, which are an integral part of this description. One part of this invention deals with a method for regulating a chemical-physical reaction in a mass of material subject to said chemical-physical reaction. The method includes the steps of: radiating at least a portion of the mass of material with electromagnetic radiation; measuring at predetermined time intervals at least one reaction parameter indicative of a chemicalphysical reaction speed, such chemical-physical reaction speed being defined as the change in time of the measured reaction parameter, and regulating electromagnetic radiation based on a plurality of measurements, made at predetermined time intervals, of the at least one reaction parameter.

More specifically, the step of regulating the electromagnetic radiation based on the plurality of reaction parameter measurements involves: modifying an amplitude of the radiated electromagnetic radiation to increase the speed of said chemicalphysical reaction generated by a variety of measurements of the at least one reaction parameter taken with respect to the reference rate of the chemical-physical reaction.

Advantageously, the step of radiating at least a portion of the mass of material with an electromagnetic radiation comprises: radiating the at least a portion of the mass of material with an electromagnetic radiation having a frequency coming within the range of the radio wave frequencies; whereas the step of regulating the electromagnetic radiation based on the plurality of reaction parameter measurements further comprises: modifying a frequency of the radiated electromagnetic radiation to reduce the speed of said chemicalphysical reaction generated by the plurality of measurements of the at least one reaction parameter taken with respect to the reference rate of the chemical-physical reaction.

By adopting such a solution, a chemical-physical reaction can be effectively stimulated or inhibited in the mass of material. More specifically, the chemical-physical reaction can be accelerated or decelerated - i.e., the reaction speed can be increased or decreased - in a controlled manner relative to the reaction speed in the uncontrolled case.

The Applicant has, in fact, ascertained that, by controlling the amplitude of the electromagnetic radiation having a frequency coming within the range of radio wave frequencies, the reaction speed of the chemicalphysical reaction can be increased in a controlled manner. Furthermore, the Applicant has ascertained that, by changing the frequency of such electromagnetic radiation, the reaction speed of the chemical- physical reaction can be decelerated.

In one embodiment, the step of radiating the at least a portion of the mass of material with an electromagnetic radiation comprises:

- generating electromagnetic radiation based on an electromagnetic signal defined by the following formula: s _ci (x) = A ■ fl ■ sin(Z ■ x + a) , where xis a frequency value or range of frequency values, A is a nominal amplitude value, D is an amplitude correction coefficient, Z is a frequency correction factor, and a is a step value, wherein at least one of the amplitude correction coefficient D, the frequency correction coefficient Z, and the step value a is calculated on the basis on the at least one reaction parameter indicative of the chemical-physical reaction speed.

The Applicant has identified the fact that, by using the primary electromagnetic signal defined in this manner, the radiated electromagnetic radiation can be adjusted - or shaped - in a simple, precise, and reliable manner.

In one embodiment, the frequency value or range of frequency values is comprised between 20 Hz and 800 MHz, preferably:

20 Hz to 200 KHz, more preferably 20 Hz to 10 KHz,

425 KHz to 640 KHz,

640 KHz to 800 KHz,

2 MHz to 800 MHz, and is empirically determined as a value or set of frequency values, as a result of which an increase exceeding a minimum value of the at least one reaction parameter indicative of a chemical-physical reaction speed is obtained.

The Applicant has identified the fact that electromagnetic radiation having frequencies coming within the frequency ranges set forth above allow the rate of the chemical-physical reaction to be varied (accelerating or decelerating) in a particularly effective manner.

In one embodiment, the step of radiating at least a portion of the mass of material with an electromagnetic radiation comprises: filtering said electromagnetic signal through a resonant filter at the frequency of the electromagnetic signal having a merit factor ranging from 0.9 to 0.2, preferably 0.8 to 0.3, and

- radiating said electromagnetic signal through an antenna.

Studies conducted by the Applicant have led to the conclusion that forming electromagnetic radiation in the manner described above allows a particularly accentuated response to be given, which is surprising when the chemical-physical reaction is accelerated and decelerated.

In one embodiment, the method further comprises the steps of: giving rise to the total reaction time required to complete the chemical-physical reaction under unregulated conditions; dividing the said total duration into predetermined sub-periods of time, each sub-period of time being characterized by the respective partial chemical-physical reaction speed in question.

Furthermore, the step of regulating the electromagnetic radiation based on a plurality of reaction parameter measurement, further comprises: calculating a correction coefficient by combining a plurality of measurements of the at least one reaction parameter acquired at time intervals occurring within the same sub-period of time, wherein the step of modifying an amplitude of the radiated electromagnetic radiation for the purpose of increasing said chemical-physical reaction speed involves, for each sub-period of time, multiplying an amplitude value associated with a previous sub-period of time by the correction coefficient, and wherein the step of modifying a frequency of the radiated electromagnetic radiation for the purpose of reducing the said chemical-physical reaction speed involves, for each sub-period of time, multiplying a frequency value associated with a previous sub-period of time by the correction coefficient.

The correction coefficient calculated and used in the aforementioned manner allows the reaction speed of the chemical-physical reaction to be regulated in a particularly simple and effective manner.

Preferably, the step of measuring at least one reaction parameter at predetermined time intervals comprises: measuring a rate of change of at least one reaction product, and measuring a volume of at least one reaction product.

In such case, the step of calculating a correction coefficient by combining a plurality of measurements of the at least one reaction parameter acquired at the same time comprises: summing a plurality of rates of change of the at least one reaction product measured in the same subperiod of time; summing a plurality of volumes of the at least one reaction product measured in the same sub-period of time, and calculating said correction coefficient as the ratio between the said sum of the various rates of change and the said sum of the various volumes of the at least one reaction product measured in the same subperiod of time.

The correction coefficient calculated in this manner allows the chemical-physical reaction speed to be controlled in a reliable and effective manner by detecting a reduced amount of information on the progress of the chemical-physical reaction.

For example, in the case of a fermentation reaction, the reaction product considered is the carbon dioxide produced during the reaction, of which the volume and speed of change are easily and accurately detected.

In one embodiment, the method further comprises the step of: assigning a unitary value to the correction coefficient during a first sub-period of those sub-periods into which the reaction’s total duration is divided.

Furthermore, the step of calculating said correction coefficient as the ratio of the aforementioned sum of the plurality of rates of change to the said sum of the said plurality of volumes of the at least one reaction product measured in the same sub-period of time comprises: calculating the correction coefficient used in a generic n-th sub-period according to the formula: wherein Q _n is the correction coefficient of the n-th sub-period T _n , T _n -i denotes the previous sub-period, m denotes the number of measurements of the rate of change of the at least one reaction product made in the previous sub-period T _n -i, Rtc(i) denotes the i-th measurement of the rate of change of the at least one reaction product made in the previous sub-period T _n -i and Vtc(i) denotes the i-th measurement of the volume of the at least one reaction product taken in the previous sub-period T _n -i.

Thanks to the dynamic calculation of the correction coefficient, the radiated electromagnetic radiation can be modified in such a way as to avoid inurement to the said electromagnetic radiation. This ensures that the effect of accelerating or decelerating the chemical-physical reaction speed can continue to be fully controlled and does not undergo undesirable variations even when the mass of material is radiated for long periods of time.

In one embodiment, the step of modifying an amplitude of the radiated electromagnetic radiation to increase a rate of said chemical-physical reaction involves calculating the amplitude of the radiated electromagnetic radiation in a generic n-th sub-period T _n according to the formula:

A _n = A ■ 11"=!^, wherein A _n is the amplitude of the radiated electromagnetic radiation in said n-th sub-period T _n , A is a nominal amplitude of the electromagnetic radiation, and Q- is the calculated correction coefficient for such sub-period The Applicant has ascertained that regulating the amplitude of the electromagnetic radiation based on a (preferably productive) combination of all of the calculated coefficients allows the increase in the reference chemical-physical reaction speed to be controlled in an optimal manner.

In one embodiment, the step of modifying a frequency of electromagnetic radiation so as to reduce the speed of said obtained chemical-physical reaction comprises: calculating a frequency of the radiated electromagnetic radiation in a generic r-th sub-period T _r according to the formula: wherein f _r is the frequency of the radiated electromagnetic radiation in the r-th sub-period T _r , f _r .i is the frequency of the radiated electromagnetic radiation in the previous sub-period T _r .-i, Z, is the correction factor Qi relative to the i-th sub-period Tj, multiplied by a constant multiplication parameter.

The Applicant has ascertained that regulating the frequency of electromagnetic radiation based on a (preferably productive) combination of all of the calculated coefficients allows the reduction in the reference chemical-physical reaction speed to be controlled in an optimal manner.

In one embodiment, the method further comprises the step of:

- radiating a portion of said mass of material with additional electromagnetic radiation in parallel to the electromagnetic radiation, wherein said additional electromagnetic radiation has a wavelength in the visible spectrum, the near-infrared spectrum, or the near-ultraviolet spectrum.

The Applicant has ascertained that the combination of a pair of electromagnetic radiations, one of which has a wavelength coming within the range that has been defined above, avoids inurement to the stimulus radiation or inhibition during the chemical-physical reaction, which generally leads to a reduction in the level of effective control of the chemical-physical reaction speed.

In one embodiment, the step of radiating a portion of said mass of material with additional electromagnetic radiation in parallel to the electromagnetic radiation comprises:

- radiating said mass of material with an additional electromagnetic radiation having a wavelength comprised between 600 nm and 1 pm, preferably between 635 nmand 700 nm, so as to increase the rate of said chemical-physical reaction relative to the reference chemical-physical reaction speed, or

- radiating a portion of said mass of material with an additional electromagnetic radiation having a wavelength comprised between 550 nm and 300 nm, preferably between 550 nm and 400 nm, so as to reduce said chemical-physical reaction speed relative to the reference chemical-physical reaction speed.

The Applicant has conducted studies that have allowed it to identify the aforementioned ranges, which respectively allow a particularly effective stimulus or inhibition to be obtained.

In one embodiment, the method further comprises the step of:

- defining a reference volume of the mass of material, wherein said reference volume is a portion of a total volume of the mass of material.

Furthermore, the step of radiating a portion of said mass of material with additional electromagnetic radiation in parallel to the electromagnetic radiation involves:

- emitting the additional electromagnetic radiation at an emission angle with respect to a normal to the surface of the mass of material, such that a portion of the mass of material is radiated at a perimeter edge of said reference volume.

Preferably, the reference volume is selected according to the conformation of a tank or other type of container containing the mass of material to be processed.

In general, the volume in question corresponds to the maximum volume and has a geometric shape of a solid of revolution or polyhedral solid inscribable within the total volume.

Even more preferably, the shape of the reference volume is selected, based on the shape of the tank, from a cylindrical shape or a spherical shape in the case of a solid of revolution, or from a parallelepiped shape in the case of a polyhedron. In one embodiment, the reference volume is 80% of the total volume and has a conformation that substantially corresponds to the conformation of the tank in the case of a tank having a substantially regular shape, for example, a substantially cylindrical, spherical, cubic, rectangular-based parallelepiped shape, etc.

In another embodiment, the reference volume is 10% of the total volume and has the form of a solid of revolution or polyhedral solid - for example, a substantially cylindrical, spherical, cubical, rectangular-based parallelepiped shape, etc. - that allows this volume to be delimited without intersecting the tank in the case of a tank having a highly irregular shape, such as, for example, a tank lacking symmetry and/or including walls that are not continuous.

Studies conducted by the Applicant have identified the fact that applying the additional electromagnetic radiation in this direction surprisingly allows a chemical-physical reaction to be stimulated or inhibited in a particularly effective manner in the entire mass of material, even though the additional electromagnetic radiation radiates a rather small portion of the total volume of the mass of material.

One embodiment envisages varying the direction of the additional electromagnetic radiation as a function of time, so as to radiate a different portion of the mass of material at the perimeter edge of the reference volume at different times.

In addition or in the alternative, various portions of the mass of material at the perimeter edge of the reference volume can be simultaneously radiated with additional electromagnetic radiation.

In one embodiment, the step of radiating a portion of the said mass of material with additional electromagnetic radiation in parallel to the electromagnetic radiation comprises:

- emitting additional electromagnetic radiation having an associated power proportional to the ratio between said reference volume and the total volume of the mass of material.

Preferably, the step of emitting the further electromagnetic radiation with an associated power proportional to the ratio between said reference volume and the total volume of the mass of material comprises

- calculating the power associated with the additional electromagnetic radiation according to the formula:

PS(J2 — Pita ■ p, where Psu2 is the power associated with the additional electromagnetic radiation, P is the maximum power that can be associated with the additional electromagnetic radiation, and p is the ratio between said reference volume and the total volume of the mass of material.

Studies conducted by the Applicant have identified the fact that modulating the power of the additional electromagnetic radiation by means of the ratio defined above allows a particularly effective stimulus or inhibition to be produced without running the risk of damaging the mass of material.

One embodiment envisages conducting a test as to whether the chemical-physical reaction speed exceeds an upper threshold value and/or falls below a lower threshold value, and in the event that the speed exceeds the upper threshold value, at least one of the following steps should be taken: suspend the emission of further electromagnetic radiation; reduce the power of additional electromagnetic radiation; modify the wavelength of the additional electromagnetic radiation so that it is encompassed within a range of between 550 nm and 300 nm, and preferably of between 550 nm and 400 nm;

- reduce the value of the amplitude correction coefficient, and

- calculate and apply the frequency correction coefficient, or in the event that the speed falls below the lower threshold value, at least one of the following steps is to be performed: suspend the emission of further electromagnetic radiation; reduce the power of additional electromagnetic radiation; modify the wavelength of the additional electromagnetic radiation so that it is encompassed within a range of between 600 nm and 1 pm, preferably between 635 nm and 700 nm; reduce the value of the frequency correction coefficient, and calculate and apply the amplitude correction coefficient.

In this manner, the reaction speed of the chemical-physical reaction can be controlled, ensuring that it remains within a desired range.

In one embodiment, the method further comprises the step of monitoring, preferably in real time, respectively an acceleration or deceleration yield. Advantageously, the said yield is calculated by comparing the volume value of the reaction’s product in the case of the accelerated or decelerated chemical-physical reaction with the volume value of the reaction’s product in the case of the said unregulated chemical-physical reaction assessed at a corresponding instant of time, starting from the respective chemical-physical reaction.

Preferably, the efficiency R% of the acceleration or deceleration can be measured according to the following formula:

7?%(t) = 100 where Vtcc(t) is the value of the volume of the reaction product in the case of the accelerated or decelerated chemical-physical reaction as a function of time, and VtCNo ) is the value of the reaction product volume of the said unregulated chemical-physical reaction as a function of time.

Advantageously, the method further comprises the steps of determining at least one additional adjustment parameter based on the performance R%, combining - for example, by means of multiplication or division - said adjustment parameter by the amplitude correction factor or the frequency correction factor in order to optimize the acceleration and deceleration and increase or decrease said acceleration or deceleration.

Another part of this invention deals with a device for regulating chemical and physical reactions in a mass of material. The device includes: an emission module configured to generate an electromagnetic radiation and radiate at least a portion of the mass of material with said electromagnetic radiation; an acquisition module configured to measure, preferably from time to time, at least one reaction parameter indicative of a chemical-physical reaction speed, and a control module configured to control the emission module.

Furthermore, the control module is configured to: modify an amplitude of the electromagnetic radiation generated and radiated by the emission module as a function of the plurality of measurements of the at least one reaction parameter, so as to increase the speed of the said chemical-physical reaction with respect to the reference speed of the chemicalphysical reaction.

Advantageously, the emission module is configured to: generate electromagnetic radiation having a frequency coming within the radio wave frequency range, and the control module is configured to change a frequency of the electromagnetic radiation generated and radiated by the emission module as a function of the various measurements taken in respect of the at least one reaction parameter, so as to reduce the said chemical-physical reaction speed with respect to the reference speed of the chemical-physical reaction.

Preferably, the emission module includes an antenna configured to be at least partially immersed in said mass of material.

Even more preferably, the control module is configured to generate an electromagnetic signal proportional to the electromagnetic radiation.

Furthermore, the emission module includes a filter resonating at the frequency of the electromagnetic signal having a merit factor comprised between 0.9 and 0.2, and preferably between 0.8 and 0.3.

Even more preferably, the device comprises a further emission module configured to generate further electromagnetic radiation and radiate at least a portion of the mass of material with said further electromagnetic radiation

Advantageously, the control module is configured to make the additional emission module: generate and radiate additional electromagnetic radiation having a wavelength comprised between 600 nm and 1 pm, and preferably 635 nmto700nm, so as to increase the speed of the said chemical- physical reaction relative to the reference rate of the chemical-physical reaction, or generate and radiate additional electromagnetic radiation having a wavelength comprised between 550 nm and 300 nm, and preferably between 550 nm and 400 nm, so as to reduce the speed of the said chemical-physical reaction relative to the reference speed of the chemical-physical reaction.

The device configured in this manner is, therefore, able to obtain the above-described advantages that have already been mentioned above in connection with one or more of the embodiments of the above-described method.

Further features and purposes of this invention shall be illustrated in an even clearer fashion in the following description.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The invention shall be described herein by referring to certain examples envisaged for the purpose of explaining it without any pretence of completeness and shall be illustrated in the accompanying drawings. These drawings illustrate different aspects and embodiments of this invention; where appropriate, relevant numbers illustrating similar structures, components, materials and/or elements set out in various figures are indicated by similar numbers.

Figure 1 is a block diagram of a device according to one embodiment of this invention;

Figure 2 is a schematic representation of the device indicated in Figure 1, associated with a container containing a mass of material subject to a chemical-physical reaction that is to be controlled;

Figure 3 is a flowchart of a procedure for accelerating a chemical-physical reaction according to one embodiment of this invention;

Figure 4 is a graph showing the progress of the volume of a reaction product as a function of time during an unregulated chemical-physical reaction divided into a plurality of sub-periods;

Figure 5 is a graph showing the progress in the volume of a reaction product as a function of time during a chemical-physical reaction accelerated by the acceleration procedure illustrated in Figure 3;

Figure 6 is a flowchart of a procedure for accelerating a chemical-physical reaction according to an embodiment of this invention;

Figure 7 is a graph showing progress in the volume of a reaction product as a function of time during an unregulated chemical-physical reaction divided into various sub-periods, and

Figure 8 is a graph showing progress in the volume of a reaction product as a function of time during a physical-chemical reaction decelerated by the deceleration procedure illustrated in Figure 6.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

While the invention can be subjected to various amendments and alternative interpretations, some preferred embodiments are shown in the drawings and are described in detail below. However, it should be understood thatthere is no intention to limit the invention to such specific embodiment, but, on the contrary, said invention is intended to cover all of the amendments, alternative interpretations, and equivalents that fall within the scope of the invention as defined in the claims. The use of the terms "for example," "etc.," "or" indicates non-exclusive alternatives without any limitation whatsoever, unless otherwise indicated. Use of "includes" means "includes, but not limited to", unless otherwise indicated.

With reference to Figures 1 and 2, a device 1 for regulating chemical-physical reactions in a mass of material X according to an embodiment of this invention is described. In other words, device 1 is configured to regulate the chemical-physical reactivity of the mass of material X with respect to at least one chemical-physical reaction.

The device 1 includes control module 10, a primary emission module 20, preferably, a secondary emission module 30, and an acquisition module 40, wherein the control module 10 is operatively connected to the other modules 20 - 30 for the purpose of providing and/or receiving signals therefrom. Preferably, the device 1 includes a user interface 50 configured to receive instructions from a user - for example, entered by means of a keyboard - and provide operational information to the user, for example, by playing images and/or text on a screen.

In the non-limiting example that has been considered above, the mass of material X might comprise a mass of organic material that is fermenting (such as bakery dough, must, etc.) or a mass of material that is being digested (such as sludge, compost, etc.) housed in a container, for example a tank S. In other embodiments, the device 1 may be configured to adjust chemical and physical reactions in a mass of material X substantially comprising one or more plants, vegetables, fruits, food products (bakery products, confectionery, fermented beverages, fruit/vegetable juices or extracts, etc.).

In detail, the control module 10 includes a memory 11, which preferably stores one or more operating data, operating instructions, and temporary processing variables. Furthermore, the control module 10 includes a processing unit 13 - for example one or more from among an ALU, a microcontroller, a processor, a DSP, an FPGA - configured to generate primary control (electronic) signal Sci that regulates the manner in which the primary emission module 20 operates and a secondary control (electronic) signal Sc2 that regulates the manner in which the secondary emission module operates 30.

Advantageously, the control signals sci and Sc2, are regulated based on a feedback signal srprovided by the acquisition module 40.

In a preferred embodiment, the primary control signal Sci is defined by the following formula: where A is a nominal amplitude value of the primary electromagnetic radiation sui, 0 is an amplitude correction coefficient, Z is a frequency correction factor, and a is a step value, where at least one of the amplitude correction coefficient 0, the frequency correction coefficient Z and the step value a is calculated, based on the feedback signal sr, as described below.

On the contrary, the secondary control signal scsis essentially a stepped, or square wave, signal having a maximum value defined in the manner described below. The acquisition module 40 includes one or more sensors 41 configured to measure at least one physical quantity, in particular at least one reaction parameter associated with the chemical-physical reaction to be regulated, and transmit this measurement to the control module 10 in a feedback signal sr.

More specifically, the measured reaction parameter is indicative of a rate of the chemical-physical reaction. Preferably, the rate of the chemical-physical reaction may be defined as a change in time of the measured reaction parameter.

For example, the acquisition module 40 may comprise - in a non-limiting manner - one or more of electrochemical sensors, chemical sensors, thermoelectric sensors, temperature sensors, infrared radiation sensors, electrolyte ion sensors, Hall effect sensors, piezoelectric sensors, light sensors, capacitive sensors, etc. that are configured to measure the desired reaction parameter from time to time or, more generally, at predetermined times.

The feedback signal sr provides, therefore, an indication of the time-dependent trend of the reaction parameter based on a plurality of instantaneous values and value changes between successive reaction parameter times measured by the sensors 41 of the acquisition module 40.

For example, the acquisition module 40 is configured to measure, through at least one sensor 41, one or more concentrations of one or more selected molecules and/or ions in the mass of material X and/or in the tank S, as well as a temperature of the mass of material X and/or within the tank S, and an electrical potential of the mass of material X, etc.

In considering in a non-limiting manner the fact that the chemical-physical reaction that is to be controlled is a fermentation of a mass of material X - for example, wine must, beer, or spirits - the acquisition module is configured to measure a concentration of carbon dioxide (C02) molecules within the tank S. Preferably, the feedback signal sr provides information regarding a time-dependent rate of change in the carbon dioxide concentration and a time-dependent change in the volume of carbon dioxide within the tank S.

The primary emission module 20 is configured to radiate at least part of the mass of X material with a primary electromagnetic radiation sui that has been generated and that is based on the primary control signal sci provided by the control module 10. The primary electromagnetic radiation sui is an electromagnetic radiation having a frequency coming within the radio wave frequency range, i.e., from a few Hertz to hundreds of Gigahertz. Preferably, the primary electromagnetic radiation sui is characterized by a frequency or set of frequencies comprised between 20 Hz and 800 MHz. More specifically, the applicant has identified the fact that the following sub-intervals of frequencies produce particularly effective stimuli:

- 20 Hz to 200 KHz, preferably 20 Hz to 10 KHz,

- 425 KHz to 640 KHz,

- 640 KHz to 800 KHz, and

- 2 MHz to 800 MHz.

Preferably, the primary emission module 20 comprises a resonant element 21 characterized by a resonant frequency fa and a merit factor Q of between 0.9 and 0.2, preferably of between 0.8 and 0.3. For example, the resonant element 21 is a resonant filter essentially comprising at least one inductive load and a capacitive load, and optionally a resistive load. The resonant element 21 is configured to receive as input the primary control signal Sci and provide as output an electromagnetic signal substantially corresponding to the primary electromagnetic radiation sui that is then radiated onto the mass of material X. In other words, the primary electromagnetic radiation sui substantially corresponds to the primary control signal Sci multiplied by the transfer function H(fa, Q) of the resonant element 21 (i.e., Sui- Sc H(fa, Q)).

In order to radiate the mass of X material with the primary electromagnetic radiation sui, the primary emission module 20 includes a radiating element 23 that receives and emits the electromagnetic signal output from the resonant element 21, for example, an antenna, a directional antenna, an antenna array, or a similar element.

Advantageously, the radiating element 23 is disposed within the tank S. In the case of a mass of material X of a fluid, viscous, granular, or similar type, the radiating element 23 is preferably, configured to be immersed in the mass of material X. Even more preferably, the radiating element 23 is configured to radiate the output signal Sui in an isotropic manner and is positioned substantially in the centre of the mass of material X in accordance with the geometry of the tank S. For example, the radiating element 23 is coaxial to a longitudinal axis of the substantially cylindrical shaped tank S illustrated in Figure 2.

The secondary emission module 30 is configured to radiate at least a portion of the mass of X material with a secondary electromagnetic radiation Su2 generated based on the secondary control signal Sc2 provided by the control module 10.

The secondary electromagnetic radiation su2 corresponds to a second electromagnetic radiation, in particular an electromagnetic radiation having a wavelength included in the visible spectrum, the near-infrared spectrum or the near-ultraviolet spectrum. Preferably, the secondary emission module 30 is configured to emit the secondary electromagnetic radiation Su2 as a coherent electromagnetic radiation. For this purpose, the secondary emission module 30 may comprise one or more laser emitters 31.

Furthermore, the secondary emission module 30 is configured to regulate the power of the secondary electromagnetic radiation Su2, depending on the amplitude of the secondary control signal Sc2. For example, the power of the secondary electromagnetic radiation Su2 can be regulated between 0 mW and 150 mW, and can preferably be regulated between 0 mW and 100 mW in the case of the fermentation procedure considered above.

In the embodiments of this invention, the secondary emission module 30 is configured to radiate a predetermined portion of the mass of material X. Preferably, laser emitter 31 is directed to radiate a portion of mass of material X at a perimeter edge PR of a reference volume VR of the mass of material X. In the example considered in Figure 2, the laser emitter 31 is positioned orthogonally to an exposed surface of the reference volume VR, at the centre of said exposed surface, and is directed to emit secondary electromagnetic radiation Su2 at an emission angle a with respect to a normal of the surface of the mass of material X, such that it radiates a portion of the mass of material X at a perimeter edge PR of a reference volume VR.

More specifically, the reference volume VR of the mass of material X corresponds to at least a portion of the total volume VT of the mass of material X. The reference volume is selected according to the conformation of the tank S that contains the mass of material to be processed. In general, the reference volume VR corresponds to the maximum volume having a geometric shape of a solid of revolution or polyhedral solid inscribable within the total volume VT. Preferably, the shape of the reference volume VR is, based on the shape of the tank S, selected from a cylindrical shape or a spherical shape in the case of a solid of revolution, or a parallelepiped shape in the case of a polyhedral solid. In other words, the reference volume VR shall correspond to the total volume VT for a tank S having a shape corresponding to a solid of revolution - in particular a cylindrical or spherical shape - or a polyhedral solid - in particular a parallelepiped shape. Otherwise, the smaller the reference volume VR, relative to the total volume VT, the more the shape of the tank S will be irregular.

The Applicant has ascertained that effective stimulation (or inhibition) can be achieved by requiring the reference volume v _R to be equal to, or greater than, 80% of the total volume v _T (v _R = o.8 -v _T ) in the case of an S-tank having a substantially regular shape, for example, in the case of a tank that is substantially cylindrical except for the ends thereof that can essentially consist of hemispherical walls and/or manifolds, valve couplings, or other hydraulic devices. In contrast, in the case of an S-tank having a highly irregular shape - for example, a naturally formed basin or ravine in a rocky conformation - the Applicant has ascertained that effective stimulation (or inhibition) can be achieved by imposing a reference volume v _R equal to, or greater than, 10% of the total volume v _T (v _R = 0.1 • v _T ).

The device 1 described above is suitable for implementing a procedure 100 regulating one or more chemicalphysical reactions in the mass of material X according to an embodiment of this invention described below with reference to the flowchart indicated in Figure 3.

The procedure 100 comprises a group of preliminary steps that are performed initially in order to acquire information about the mass of material X and the chemical-physical reaction to be controlled in the same mass of material X - for example, fermentation of a must - and a group of operational steps that are performed each time to regulate (at least) such chemical-physical reaction in a corresponding mass of material X.

For example, the group of preliminary steps are performed once in conjunction with the installation of the device 1 in a system (not shown in its entirety) of which the tank S is a part.

In detail, the group of preliminary steps entails identifying the reference volume v _R of the mass of material X from the total volume VT of the mass of material X in respect of which a reaction is to be regulated (block 101). As described above, the reference volume v _R of the mass of material X is selected based on the conformation of the tank S described above. Of course, as will be apparent to the person skilled in the art, the reference volume v _R may be redefined during subsequent iterations of the adjustment procedures described below based on the information obtained from the acquisition module 40 during the execution of the procedure 100 and based on the adjustment requirements imposed by the specific chemical-physical reaction to be regulated by means of the device 1. Furthermore, a frequency range, or a reference frequency fo is ascertained, in respect of which an electromagnetic radiation is found to induce an appreciable stimulation of the reactivity of a sample mass of material (block 105). For example, a sample mass of material is radiated with an electromagnetic radiation, each having a different carrier frequency. The reference frequency fo is a frequency of between 20 Hz and 10,000 Hz and is empirically identified while the system is being initially set up. For example, the reference frequency fo is a frequency for which there is an increase above a desired minimum value of the control parameter, which is the concentration of carbon dioxide (CO2) molecules inside the tank S in the case of fermentation.

Therefore, the group of preliminary steps comprises an analysis of the progress of at least one reaction parameter during an unregulated chemical-physical reaction in a mass of sample material (block 107). In a preferred embodiment, both a rate of change Rte of (at least) one reaction product - for example CO2 in the case of fermentation - and the volume Vtc of the reaction product are measured at predetermined times. For example, in the case of device 1 , measurements of the rate of Rte and the volume Vtc are taken through the acquisition module 40 by means of one or more sensors 41.

The measurements that are thus acquired are analyzed to determine reaction duration T required for completing the unregulated chemical-physical reaction in the sample mass of material (block 109). For example, the chemical-physical reaction is considered completed when the rate of change Rte of the reaction product is zero or less than a threshold value comprised between two or more time intervals, or when the volume Vtc of the reaction product reaches a predetermined value, such as, for example, a produced value of carbon dioxide related to the stoichiometric ratio of the fermented mass of material X.

The duration T is then divided into a plurality of sub-periods T _n (block 111). Preferably, as illustrated in the qualitative graph of Figure 4, reaction duration T is divided into a plurality of time intervals, namely five timeintervals To - T4 in the example under examination, each of these intervals To - T4 being characterized by their respective progress in the reaction product’s Rte rate of change as a function of time. In the case of a fermentation reaction, there will be a particularly rapid increase in the volume of CO2 inside the vessel S in the sub-periods To and T1 , whereas there will be, in the subsequent sub-periods T2 and T3, a slowdown in the increase of the volume of CO2 in the vessel, until the concentration is essentially constant at the end of the last sub-period T4.

Furthermore, a threshold value indicative of the completion of the chemical-physical reaction in the sample mass of material - for example, the threshold value - is an overall value of the reaction product’s volume Vtc measured at the end of reaction duration T (block 113).

Once the aforementioned information has been acquired, the acceleration procedure 100 involves implementing the following group of operational steps in order to accelerate the desired chemical-physical reaction and, thereby complete the chemical-physical reaction in the mass of material X in a period of time that lasts less than reaction duration T in the case of an unregulated chemical-physical reaction.

In general, the group of operational steps of the acceleration procedure 100 involves radiating the mass of material X during each generic sub-period T _n (n between 0 and 4 in the example under consideration) with a primary electromagnetic wave defined by the following formula: that is to say the primary electromagnetic radiation sui in the case of device 1 , where the variable xis such that it corresponds to the previously determined reference frequency fo and the frequency correction factor Z is set to one (Z- x - fo), and the step value a is in general set to zero (cr = 0). Otherwise, the amplitude correction factor Q _n is varied according to the progress in the reaction parameter determined by the feedback signal sr during the previous sub-period T _n -i and is applied to the selected amplitude A _n -i of the previous subperiod T _n -1.

Simultaneously, upon the mass of material X being radiated with the primary electromagnetic radiation sui, a portion of the mass of material X at the perimeter edge PR of the reference volume VR is radiated by a secondary electromagnetic radiation, corresponding to the secondary electromagnetic Su2 in the case of device 1 with a wavelength comprised between 600 nm and 1 pm, preferably between 635 nm and 700 nm, and an emission power Psu2 substantially corresponding to a maximum available power PMax multiplied by the ratio p between the reference volume VR and the total volume VT of the mass of material X (i.e., , p = VR/Vyand PS(J2 = Pita ■ P).

In detail, during the first sub-period To, the acceleration procedure 100 involves setting the amplitude correction coefficient D to a value corresponding to the unitary value (0 = 1) and radiating the mass of material X with primary electromagnetic radiation suiand secondary electromagnetic radiation su2 (block 115).

Furthermore, at least one reaction parameter is measured at predetermined time intervals during the subperiod To (block 117). More specifically, the variation in time of the measured reaction parameter defines the speed of the chemical-physical reaction that is being defined. In a preferred embodiment, both a rate of change of Rte of (at least) one reaction product - for example CO2 in the case of fermentation - and the volume Vtc of the reaction product are measured at predetermined times. In the case of device 1 described above, acquisition module 40 is configured to detect the rate of change Rtcand the volume Vtc of the reaction product as a function of time.

Subsequently the following operations are repeated for each sub-period T _n of the remaining sub-periods T1. 4.

In general, the procedure 100 is supervised via the user interface 50 by an operator, who has the ability to monitor the progress of the reaction, identify the completion of the fermentation phase, and, if necessary, modify the process parameters - i.e., one or more of amplitude, frequency, phase of the primary electromagnetic radiation sui and power and angle of emission of the secondary electromagnetic radiation su2 - and/or stop the operation of the device 1.

In a highly automated embodiment, at least one type of measurement acquired during the previous subperiod^) - for example, measurements of the volume Vtc of the reaction product - are combined, and in particular summed, with each other to determine an overall volume Vtc produced by the reaction product that allows checks to be conducted as to whether the chemical-physical reaction in the mass of material X is to be considered as completed (decision block 119). Preferably, the total volume Vtc is compared with the previous threshold volume value determined in the preliminary step described in connection with block 113.

If so (output branch Y of block 119), the acceleration procedure 100 is complete because the chemicalphysical reaction has affected the entire mass of material X (terminal block 121 ). In the case of the device 1 , the control module 10 is configured to signal to an operator - for example, an attendant and/or a computer operating the plant in which the device 1 is installed - that the chemical-physical reaction has been completed. In the event that the completion of the chemical-physical reaction is not detected (output branch N of block 119), at least one type of measurement acquired during the previous sub-period T _n -i that has just elapsed - for example, measurements of the rate of change Rtcof the reaction product - are combined, and in particular summed, with each other to determine an overall rate of change Rte for the previous sub-period T _n -i and a check is conducted as to whether this rate of change exceeds an upper threshold value (decision block 123).

More specifically, the upper threshold value is selected in order to avoid that the chemical-physical reaction is excessively accelerated - i.e. , proceeds at an excessive speed - and leads to the onset of undesirable phenomena, such as the creation of undesirable by-products, excessive temperature increase of the mass of material X and/or pressure inside the tank S, etc. In other words, the threshold value that has been set ensures that one or more characteristics of the mass of material X and therefore of the final product obtained from this mass of material X (for example, beer or wine in the case of alcoholic fermentation) are kept intact.

For example, in the case of a fermentation reaction, the threshold value corresponds to an increase in the Rte rate of change of produced carbon dioxide that is 20% to 60% (preferably 30% to 50%) higher than the unregulated reaction’s Rte rate of change calculated during the corresponding sub-period T _n -i.

If so (output branch Y of block 123), it is envisaged that the power of the emission of the secondary electromagnetic radiation Su2 during the current sub-period T _n (block 125) should be suspended, or at least reduced.

Otherwise (output branch N of block 123), a check is conducted as to whether the emission of the secondary electromagnetic radiation su2 was suspended during the previous sub-period T _n (decision block 127) and, if so (output branch Y of block 127), it is envisaged that the emission of the secondary electromagnetic radiation Su2 during the current sub-period T _n (block 129) shall be resumed, failing which (output branch N of block 127) the emission of the secondary electromagnetic radiation Su2 shall, as had been previously envisaged, continue during the current sub-period T _n by proceeding to the step described below with respect to block 131.

Following the step described in relation to block 125 or after the check described in relation to block 129 has been unsuccessfully conducted, the amplitude correction coefficient D is recalculated based on the measurements acquired during the previous sub-period T _n -i (block 131). In the preferred embodiment, the correction Q _n for the sub-period T _n is calculated as the ratio of the summation of the values of the rate of change of the reaction product Rte measured during the preceding sub-period T _n -i to the summation of the values of the volume of the reaction product Vtc measured during the preceding sub-period T _n -i. In other words, the correction coefficient Q _n used in the n-th sub-period T _n is calculated according to the formula: where T _n -i denotes the previous sub-period, m denotes the number of measurements taken in the sub-period T _n -i, Rtc(i) denotes the i-th measurement of the rate of change of the reaction product taken in the sub-period T _n -i and Vtc(i) denotes the i-th measurement of the volume of the reaction product taken in the sub-period -r.

In accordance with the foregoing, during the n-th sub-period T _n the mass of material X is then radiated with primary electromagnetic radiation sui having an amplitude modified by the amplitude correction coefficient Q _n , calculated as described above, and by secondary electromagnetic radiation Su2 - if not deactivated in the manner described above - (block 133). More specifically, the amplitude of the primary electromagnetic radiation sui is calculated as the amplitude A _n -i of the previous sub-period T _n -i multiplied by the amplitude correction coefficient Q _n calculated for the current sub-period T _n . In other words, the amplitude A _n used during the sub-period T _n is defined by the product of the nominal amplitude A and the amplitude correction coefficients calculated during all of the sub-periods from the first to the n-th:

A _n = A - n^n _i . (4)

Furthermore, at least one reaction parameter is measured at predetermined time intervals during the subperiod T _n (block 135) in a manner similar to the one described above with respect to block 117. Thereafter, the acceleration procedure 100 envisages repeating the above-described steps, starting by checking the whether the chemical-physical reaction at block 119 has been completed.

As illustrated in Figure 5, by comparing the progress over time of the reaction product’s volume Vtc (carbon dioxide in the case of fermentation) in the case of the chemical-physical reaction regulated by means of procedure 100 (solid line) and in the case of the unregulated chemical-physical reaction (dashed line), the application of the acceleration procedure 100 that has just been described above leads to a substantial increase in the chemical-physical reaction speed vis-a-vis the unregulated case.

In addition or in the alternative, there is a slowdown procedure 200 - a flowchart of which is shown in Figure 6 - configured to reduce the reaction speed of a chemical-physical reaction in the mass of material X relative to an uncontrolled reaction speed.

In detail, the slowdown procedure 200 is distinguished from the acceleration procedure 100 described above as follows, wherein similar steps are indicated by similar references and their description is not repeated herein for the sake of brevity.

The deceleration procedure 200 includes a group of preliminary steps 201 - 213 performed initially for the purpose of acquiring information about the mass of material X and the chemical-physical reaction to be controlled in the said mass of material X, which substantially corresponds to the steps described above with reference to blocks 101 - 113, with the differences shown below.

As will be apparent to the person skilled in the art, reaction duration T at block 211 is thus subdivided into a plurality of different sub-periods T _r that are for example higher than the number of sub-periods T _r into which the said reaction duration T is subdivided in the case of the acceleration procedure 100. As is illustrated in the qualitative graph illustrated in Figure 7, reaction duration T is divided into a plurality of intervals (eight sub-periods To - T? in the example that has been taken into consideration). In general, a number of subperiods T _r greater than the number of sub- periods T _n chosen for the acceleration procedure 100 is chosen and, more specifically, this is done in order to conduct an accurate check when approaching the end of the uncontrolled time for which the reaction duration T lasts, given that the chemical-physical reaction controlled through the deceleration procedure 200 will be slower than the uncontrolled chemical-physical reaction.

Once the aforementioned information has been acquired, the deceleration procedure 200 involves implementing the following group of operational steps in order to decelerate the desired chemical-physical reaction and, thereby complete the chemical-physical reaction in the mass of material X over a period of time that is greater than the period of time for which the reaction T lasts in the case of an unregulated chemicalphysical reaction.

In general, the group of operational steps of the deceleration procedure 200 involves radiating the mass of material X during each generic sub-period T _r (/between 0 and 7 in the example under examination) with a primary electromagnetic wave defined by the following formula: that is to say the primary electromagnetic radiation sui in the case of device 1 , where the variable xin formula (1) corresponds to the frequency f _r .i used in the previous sub-period T _r -i, whereas the frequency correction coefficient Zr is varied according to the progress of the reaction parameter determined by the feedback signal sr during the previous sub-period T _r -i and the step value a is in general set to zero (cr = 0). In other words, the frequency f _r used during the sub-period T _r is defined by the product of nominal frequency fo and of frequency correction coefficients Zr calculated during all of the sub-periods from the first to the r-th: fr = f ₀ - n ^r i=i Zi- (6)

Otherwise, the amplitude correction coefficient 0 is set to one.

Simultaneously, upon the mass of material X being radiated with the primary electromagnetic radiation sui, a portion of the mass of material X at the perimeter edge PR of the reference volume VR is radiated by a secondary electromagnetic radiation, corresponding to the secondary electromagnetic radiation Su2 in the case of device 1 with a wavelength comprised between 550 nm and 300 nm (preferably between 550 nm and 400 nm), and an emission power Psu2 substantially corresponding to a maximum available power PMax multiplied by the ratio p of the reference volume VR to the total volume VT of the mass of material X (i.e., p = VR/Vyand Psu2= PMax ■ P). In detail, during the first sub-period To, the acceleration procedure 100 involves setting the frequency correction coefficient Zo to a value corresponding to the unit (Zo = 1) and radiating the mass of material X with primary electromagnetic radiation sui and secondary electromagnetic radiation Su2 (block 215).

As in the case of the acceleration procedure 100, at least one reaction parameter is measured at predetermined time intervals during the sub-period To (block 217). More specifically, the variation in time of the measured reaction parameter defines the speed of the chemical-physical reaction that is being defined. In a preferred embodiment, both a rate of change Rte of (at least) one reaction product - for example CO2 in the case of fermentation - and the volume Vtc of the reaction product are measured at predetermined times. In the case of device 1 described above, acquisition module 40 is configured to detect the rate of change Rte and detect the reaction product’s volume Vtc.

Thereafter, the following operations are repeated for each sub-period T _r of the remaining sub-periods T1.7.

In general, the procedure 200 is supervised by an operator via the user interface 50, who has the ability to monitor the progress of the reaction, identify the completion of the fermentation phase, and, if necessary, modify the process parameters - i.e., one or more of, amplitude, frequency, primary electromagnetic radiation phase sui and power and angle of emission of the secondary electromagnetic radiation su2 - and/or stop the device 1 from functioning.

In a highly automated embodiment, at least one type of measurement taken during the previous subperiod^) - for example, measurements of the reaction product’s volume Vtc - are combined, and in particular summed, with each other to determine an overall reaction product volume Wc that allows a check to be conducted as to whether the chemical-physical reaction in the mass of material X is to be considered concluded (decision block 219). Preferably, the overall VTC volume is compared to the previous threshold volume value determined in the preliminary step described in connection with block 213.

If so (output branch Y of block 219), the deceleration procedure 200 is complete, insofar as the chemicalphysical reaction has affected the entire mass of material X (terminal block 221 ). In the case of the device 1 , the control module 10 is configured to signal to an operator - for example, an attendant and/or an electronic processor operating the plant in which the device 1 is installed - that the chemical-physical reaction has been completed.

In the event that the completion of the chemical-physical reaction is not detected (output branch N of block 219), at least one type of measurement acquired during the previous sub-period T _n -i that has just elapsed - for example, measurements of the rate of change Rtcot the reaction product - are combined, and in particular are summed, with each other to determine an overall rate of change Rte for the previous sub-period T _n -i and a check is conducted as whether this rate of change falls below a lower threshold value (decision block 223).

More specifically, the lower threshold value is selected so as to prevent the chemical-physical reaction from being excessively slowed down, leading to the reaction being interrupted and/or undesirable phenomena occurring - such as the creation of undesirable by-products, an excessive reduction in the temperature of the mass of material X and/or pressure inside the tank S, etc. In other words, the threshold value that has been set ensures that one or more characteristics of the mass of material X and, therefore, the final product obtained from this mass of material X (for example, beer or wine in the case of alcoholic fermentation) are kept intact.

For example, in the case of a fermentation reaction, the threshold value corresponds to an increase in the rate of change Rte of the carbon dioxide that has been produced that is between 20% and 60%, (preferably between 30% and 50%) lower than the rate of change Rte of the unregulated reaction calculated during the corresponding sub- period TM .

For example, in the case of a fermentation reaction, the threshold value corresponds to an increase in the Rte rate of change of produced carbon dioxide lower than 20% to 60%, preferably 30% to 50% of the unregulated reaction’s Rte rate of change calculated during the corresponding sub-period TM.

If so (output branch Y of block 223), it is envisaged that the emission of the secondary electromagnetic radiation Su2 shall be suspended, or at least the power thereof reduced, during the sub-period T _r (block 225).

Otherwise (output branch N of block 223) a check is conducted as to whether the emission of the secondary electromagnetic radiation Sus was suspended during the previous sub-period TM (decision block 227), and if so (output branch Y of block 227), it is envisaged that the emission of the secondary electromagnetic radiation Su2 shall be resumed during the sub-period T _r (block 229). Otherwise (output branch N of block 229) the emission of the secondary electromagnetic radiation Su2 continues during the sub-period T _r , as previously set.

Based on the measurements that have been made, the frequency correction coefficient Z _r is recalculated (block 231). In the preferred embodiment, the correction coefficient Z _r for the sub-period T _r is calculated as the ratio of the summation of the values of the rate of change of the reaction product Rte measured during the previous sub- period T _r -i to the summation of the values of the volume of the reaction product Vtc measured during the previous sub-period T _r -i , multiplied by a multiplication parameter Fk. In other words, the frequency correction coefficient Z _r used in the r-th sub-period T _r is calculated according to the formula: where TH denotes the previous sub-period, s denotes the number of measurements made in sub-period T _r - 1, Rtc(i) denotes the i-th measurement of the rate of change of the reaction product made in sub-period T _r .i and Vtc(i) denotes the i-th measurement of the volume of the reaction product made in sub-period T _r -i. Finally, the multiplication parameter Fk is preferably a predetermined constant value. For example, in the considered case of fermentation, the multiplication parameter F is set at 100 (Fk- 100).

As will be evident to the person skilled in the art, the frequency correction coefficient Z _r essentially corresponds to the amplitude correction coefficient calculated for the same sub-period T _r , as defined above with respect to the acceleration procedure 100, multiplied by the multiplication parameter Fk (that is to say

Zr = Qr ■ Fk). In accordance with the foregoing, the mass of material X is then radiated during the r-th sub-period T _r with primary electromagnetic radiation sui having the frequency defined by the product of the reference frequency fO and the frequency correction coefficient Z _r , calculated as described above, and by secondary electromagnetic radiation Su2 - if not deactivated - described above - (block 233).

Furthermore, at least one reaction parameter is measured at predetermined time intervals during the subperiod T _n (block 235) - in a manner similar to the one that has been described above with respect to block 217- and the deceleration procedure 200 includes repeating the steps described above, beginning with verifying whether the chemical-physical reaction at block 219 has been completed.

As has been illustrated by the analysis of the progress over time of the reaction product’s volume Vtc (carbon dioxide in the fermentation case) in the case of the chemical-physical reaction regulated by means of the deceleration procedure 200 (solid line) and in the case of the unregulated chemical-physical reaction (dashed line) shown in Figure 8, the application of the aforementioned deceleration procedure 200 leads to a substantial reduction in the rate of the chemical-physical reaction when compared with the unregulated case. Optionally, during the course of both procedures 100 and 200 that have been described above, a real-time acceleration or deceleration yield can be monitored, respectively, by comparing the reaction product volume value Vtccc in the case of an accelerated or decelerated che mical -physica I reaction, with the reaction product volume value Vtcuc in the case of the unregulated chemical-physical reaction acquired at a corresponding moment in time tfrom the start of the respective chemical-physical reaction. For example, the yield R%of the acceleration procedure 100 or the deceleration procedure 200 can be measured according to the following formula:

7?%(t) = 100

The yield R% calculated in this manner can be used to determine additional control parameters to be combined - for example, by multiplying or dividing them - with the amplitude and frequency correction factors in order to adjust the respective acceleration procedure 100 and 200 to the specific conditions of the application thereof.

The invention that has been so conceived can be subjected to numerous amendments and variations made within the scope of this invention, as reflected in the attached claims.

For example, in alternative embodiments, the mass of material is housed in a container other than a tank. Furthermore, there is nothing to prohibit the device from being built to process a mass of material - particularly a product - as it passes through a predetermined area of a processing and/or packaging facility.

In an alternative embodiment (that has not been illustrated), the radiating element may be arranged at another location within the tank S (for example a wall). Preferably, the radiating element is configured to radiate electromagnetic waves in a directional manner and is oriented to optimally radiate the mass of material.

Furthermore, there is nothing to prevent the arrangement of two or more radiating elements in respective positions within the container, so as to be immersed, in contact with and/or kept at a distance from the mass of material, according to the type of material to be processed. As will be evident to the person skilled in the art, each of the radiating elements will be configured to emit electromagnetic radiation in an isotropic or anisotropic manner, according to its relative position with respect to the mass of material that is to be radiated.

Similarly, alternative embodiments include more than one secondary emission element capable of radiating secondary electromagnetic radiation, for example in the case of processing a particularly large mass of material. Each such secondary emission element will be directed to radiate a specific portion of the volume of the mass of material described above.

In the alternative or in addition, one or more secondary emission elements may be configured to vary the portion of the radiated mass of material over time. For example, a secondary emission element may be configured to consecutively radiate portions of the mass of material at the perimeter of the reference volume defined above.

Finally, it will be apparent that more than one device according to an embodiment of this invention may be installed in a plant for processing a mass of material or producing a product. For example, one or more devices according to this invention may be implemented along a food product production line, each for the purpose of accelerating a chemical-physical reaction of one or more semi-finished products required for producing the food product, and a device according to this invention may be implemented at the end of the production line and/or in a food product packaging line for the purpose of slowing down the food product’s spoilage and guaranteeing a longer shelf life and/or maintaining predetermined visual and/or organoleptic characteristics for an extended time.

As will be apparent to the person skilled in the art, one or more of the steps of the procedures 100 and 200 described above may be performed simultaneously or in an order that is different from the one presented above. Similarly, one or more optional steps may be added to, or removed from, one or more of the procedures described above.

Again, nothing prevents one or more steps of the acceleration procedure 100 being implemented in the deceleration procedure 200 and vice-versa. For example, alternative embodiments (not described in detail), envisage an alternative acceleration procedure that modifies the primary electromagnetic radiation by a frequency correction coefficient calculated in a manner similar to the one described in relation to blocks 231 and 233 of the deceleration procedure 200 (all of the necessary changes being made), in the event that the interruption of the second output signal is not sufficient to slow the chemical-physical reaction down below the upper threshold value described above in relation to block 123. At the same time, an alternative deceleration procedure envisages modifying the primary electromagnetic radiation through an amplitude correction coefficient calculated analogously to the one described in relation to blocks 131 and 233 of the acceleration procedure 100 (all of the necessary changes being made) in the event that the interruption of the second output signal is not sufficient to accelerate the chemical-physical reaction below the upper threshold value described above in relation to block 223.

Similarly, a single procedure, or a combination of two or more of the procedures 100 and 200 described above, disclose a method for controlling and/or decelerating a chemical-physical reaction in a mass of material. More specifically, one or more steps of the same or different procedures may be performed in the overall method at the same time as each other or in an order that is not the one described above. Similarly, one or more optional steps may be added to or removed from one or more of the above -described procedures.

More specifically, one or more acceleration procedures 100 and/or deceleration procedures 200 can be applied to the mass of material according to a predetermined sequence, wherein each of the said procedures is configured to accelerate or decelerate a corresponding chemical-physical reaction to which the mass of material is subjected. For example, in one embodiment, the resulting combined procedure is configured to maintain the chemical-physical reaction speed in the mass of material within a permitted range, in particular between a maximum limiting rate and a minimum limiting rate.

For example, embodiments (that have not been illustrated) define a method of controlling the reaction speed by performing at least one of the following steps if the speed falls above a maximum speed limit: suspending the emission of secondary electromagnetic radiation; reducing the power of secondary electromagnetic radiation; modifying the wavelength of the secondary electromagnetic radiation so that it is comprised between 550 nm and 300 nm, preferably between 550 nm and 400 nm, reducing the value of the amplitude correction coefficient, and calculating and applying the frequency correction coefficient.

Furthermore, the method requires, in the event that the speed drops below the lower speed, to perform at least one of the following steps: suspend the emission of further electromagnetic radiation; reduce the power of additional electromagnetic radiation; modify the wavelength of the additional electromagnetic radiation so that it is comprised between 600 nm and 1 pm, preferably between 635 nm and 700 nm; reduce the value of the frequency correction coefficient, and calculate and apply the amplitude correction coefficient.

The invention thus conceived can be subjected to numerous amendments and variations that all come within the scope of this invention, as reflected in the attached claims. More specifically, all details are interchangeable with other technically equivalent elements.

In conclusion, the materials used, as well as the contingent shapes and dimensions, may be any of these, according to the specific implementation requirements and without falling outside the scope of protection of the following claims.