A Continuous Power-Controlled Microwave Belt Drier Improving Heating Uniformity

Abstract

Due to the nonuniform energy distribution in a microwave (MW) cavity, MW-based heating applications remain a substantial barrier. A continuous power-controlled MW conveyor-belt drier using multiple 2.45-GHz MW sources improves heating uniformity. By controlling the input power of MW sources sequentially, the electric field and temperature variations, hot and cold spots in the MW cavity, have been significantly reduced. Experimental results show that the MW heating using the proposed continuous power-controlled method can achieve an improved heating uniformity of approximately 34% compared with a simultaneous multiple input method (conventional mode).