Microwave heating device

Abstract

This microwave heating device may comprise: a dielectric tube including an inlet region into which a raw material is introduced, an outlet region from which a reactant is discharged, and a heating region in which the raw material is heated to a thermal shock temperature so that the reactant is formed; a housing that surrounds the heating region of the dielectric tube; microwave generation units which are provided along the outer circumference of the housing and which irradiate microwaves that are to pass through the heating region in order to heat the raw material to the thermal shock temperature; a rotation tube which surrounds and fixes the inlet region and the outlet region of the dielectric tube and which can rotate together with the dielectric tube with respect to the housing; and a rotation driving unit which supports the rotation tube and which rotates the dielectric tube and the rotation tube.

Description

Microwave heating device

[0001] The present invention relates to a microwave heating device, and more specifically, to a microwave heating device that heats an object using microwaves.

[0002] Generally, a secondary battery refers to a battery capable of being charged and discharged. Among these secondary batteries, lithium-ion batteries are commercialized and widely used because they possess high energy density and voltage, have a long cycle life, and a low self-discharge rate.

[0003] The above lithium secondary battery uses a positive electrode material and a negative electrode material.

[0004] The above-mentioned cathode material is manufactured by mixing a precursor for manufacturing the cathode material with a lithium raw material, then introducing it into a heating device and calcining it at a high temperature.

[0005] The above cathode material is manufactured by mixing silicon and graphite, which are the raw materials for the cathode material, and then introducing them into a heating device and firing them at a high temperature.

[0006] At this time, the heating device comprises a heating element that accommodates an object such as the above and generates heat by irradiating microwaves to heat the object, and a microwave generating unit that irradiates microwaves to the heating element. That is, the heating device is a heat transfer method of the conductive type in which the heating element is heated by the microwaves and the heating element heats the object.

[0007] Therefore, the heating device takes a long time to reach the reaction temperature for reacting the object, and local temperature variations occur.

[0008] The present invention provides a microwave heating device capable of rapidly and uniformly heating an object.

[0009] A microwave heating device according to the present invention comprises: a dielectric tube comprising an inlet region into which a raw material is introduced, an outlet region into which a reaction material is discharged, and a heating region between the inlet region and the outlet region in which the raw material is heated to a thermal shock temperature to form the reaction material; a housing provided to surround the heating region of the dielectric tube; microwave generating units provided along the outer circumference of the housing and irradiating microwaves to pass through the heating region through openings formed in the housing to heat the raw material to the thermal shock temperature; a rotating tube provided to surround and fix the inlet region and the outlet region of the dielectric tube and to be rotatable with respect to the housing together with the dielectric tube; and a rotary driving unit that supports the rotating tube and rotates the dielectric tube and the rotating tube so that the microwaves uniformly heat the raw material of the dielectric tube. By changing the contact area of ​​the raw material in the heating region through the rotation of the dielectric tube, damage to the dielectric tube caused by the raw material heated to the thermal shock temperature continuously contacting a specific part of the dielectric tube can be prevented.

[0010] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the microwave heating device may further include a first circulation unit connected to the dielectric tube and cooling the dielectric tube by circulating an inert gas inside the dielectric tube to prevent the dielectric tube from being damaged by the raw material heated to the thermal shock temperature.

[0011] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the microwave heating device may further include a second circulation unit connected to the housing and circulating an inert gas between the dielectric tube and the housing to cool the outer surface of the heating area in order to prevent the dielectric tube from being damaged by the raw material heated to the thermal shock temperature.

[0012] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the microwave heating device may further include a temperature sensor unit for measuring the temperature of the heating area and a control unit for controlling at least one of the rotational driving unit, the first circulation unit, and the second circulation unit according to the measurement result of the temperature sensor unit to control the rotational speed of the dielectric tube and the flow rate or velocity of the inert gas.

[0013] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the raw material comprises the silicon powder and the carbon powder, and the reaction material may comprise silicon carbide powder.

[0014] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the microwave heating device may further include a sealing member that seals the inlet region of the dielectric tube and supports the rotating tube so that it can rotate, a supply unit provided on one side of the inlet region and supplies the raw material to the inlet region by penetrating the sealing member, and a receiving unit connected to the outlet region and supporting the rotating tube so that it can rotate, and receiving the reaction material discharged through the outlet region.

[0015] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the microwave heating device may further include an atmosphere forming part connected to the dielectric tube and forming the dielectric tube into an inert gas atmosphere to prevent oxidation of the raw material.

[0016] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the receiving portion is provided with an outlet on its lower surface for discharging the reaction material, and the outlet may be opened and closed by a valve to maintain the receiving portion in a sealed state.

[0017] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the microwave heating device may further include a support plate supporting the housing, the rotary drive unit, the supply unit, and the receiving unit, and a slope adjustment unit connected to the support plate to adjust the slope of the dielectric tube such that the inlet area of ​​the dielectric tube is high and the outlet area is low while maintaining a sealed state of the dielectric tube.

[0018] A microwave heating device according to the present invention comprises a dielectric tube having an inlet region into which a raw material is introduced and an outlet region into which a reaction material formed by heating the raw material to a thermal shock temperature is discharged, and microwave generating units disposed at a predetermined position in the circumferential direction of the dielectric tube to irradiate microwaves to heat the raw material inside the dielectric tube to the thermal shock temperature, wherein the dielectric tube may be rotated to reduce the movement of the raw material from the inlet region to the outlet region and the amount of heat conduction from the reaction material.

[0019] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the raw material comprises silicon powder and carbon powder, and the reaction material may include silicon carbide powder formed by heating the carbon powder to a temperature of 1400°C to 1600°C by the microwave, and the silicon powder receiving heat transfer from the heated carbon powder and reacting with the carbon powder.

[0020] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the microwave heating device may further include a rotary tube that transmits rotational force to the dielectric tube, which suppresses the transmission of microwaves to a portion of the dielectric tube to define a microwave-transmitting region and a non-transmitting region of the dielectric tube.

[0021] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the microwave heating device may further include a heat dissipation means that contacts the outer surface of the dielectric tube and receives heat from the dielectric tube to dissipate heat.

[0022] According to the present invention, microwaves irradiated from the microwave generating units can pass through the dielectric tube and directly heat the raw material. Therefore, the raw material can be heated rapidly.

[0023] In addition, since the raw material rotates together with the rotation of the dielectric tube, microwaves irradiated from the microwave generators can be uniformly supplied to the raw material. Therefore, the raw material can be heated uniformly without local temperature variations.

[0024] In addition, the dielectric tube can be formed into an inert atmosphere using the inert gas. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the raw material from being oxidized while the raw material is being heated.

[0025] Meanwhile, the area where the raw material contacts the heating region can be changed by rotating the dielectric tube. Therefore, even if the raw material is heated to a thermal shock temperature higher than the softening point of the dielectric tube, the dielectric tube can be prevented from being damaged by the heat of the raw material.

[0026] In addition, the dielectric tube can be cooled by circulating the inert gas inside the dielectric tube or between the dielectric tube and the housing using the first circulation unit or the second circulation unit. Thus, damage to the dielectric tube by heat can be prevented.

[0027] FIG. 1 is a side cross-sectional view illustrating the microwave heating device of the present invention.

[0028] Figure 2 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the first end portion of the genome tube of Figure 1.

[0029] Figure 3 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the second end portion of the genome tube of Figure 1.

[0030] Figure 4 is a side cross-sectional view illustrating the inclined state of the dielectric tube of Figure 1.

[0031] Figure 5 is a cross-sectional view illustrating the contact between the dielectric tube of Figure 1 and the raw material.

[0032] The present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the attached drawings. Since the present invention is susceptible to various modifications and may take various forms, specific embodiments are illustrated in the drawings and described in detail in the text. However, this is not intended to limit the present invention to the specific disclosed forms, and it should be understood that it includes all modifications, equivalents, and substitutions that fall within the spirit and scope of the present invention. Similar reference numerals have been used for similar components in the description of each drawing. In the attached drawings, the dimensions of the structures are shown enlarged compared to the actual dimensions for clarity of the present invention.

[0033] Terms such as "first," "second," etc., may be used to describe various components, but said components should not be limited by said terms. These terms are used solely for the purpose of distinguishing one component from another. For example, without departing from the scope of the present invention, the first component may be named the second component, and similarly, the second component may be named the first component.

[0034] The terms used in this application are used merely to describe specific embodiments and are not intended to limit the invention. The singular expression includes the plural expression unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. In this application, terms such as "comprising" or "having" are intended to specify the existence of the features, numbers, steps, actions, components, parts, or combinations thereof described in the specification, and should be understood as not precluding the existence or addition of one or more other features, numbers, steps, actions, components, parts, or combinations thereof.

[0035] Unless otherwise defined, all terms used herein, including technical or scientific terms, have the same meaning as generally understood by those skilled in the art to which the present invention pertains. Terms such as those defined in commonly used dictionaries should be interpreted as having a meaning consistent with their meaning in the context of the relevant technology, and should not be interpreted in an ideal or overly formal sense unless explicitly defined in this application.

[0036]

[0037] FIG. 1 is a side cross-sectional view for explaining the microwave heating device of the present invention, FIG. 2 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the first end portion of the dielectric tube of FIG. 1, FIG. 3 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the second end portion of the dielectric tube of FIG. 1, FIG. 4 is a side cross-sectional view for explaining the inclined state of the dielectric tube of FIG. 1, and FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view for explaining the contact between the dielectric tube of FIG. 1 and the raw material.

[0038] Referring to FIGS. 1 to 5, the microwave heating device (100) may include a dielectric tube (110), a housing (120), microwave generating units (130), a rotating tube (140), a rotating driving unit (150), a sealing member (160), a supply unit (170), a receiving unit (180), a recovery unit (190), an atmosphere forming unit (first circulation unit) (200), a second circulation unit (210), a temperature sensor unit (220), a support plate (230), an inclination adjustment unit (240), and a control unit.

[0039] The dielectric tube (110) is arranged horizontally in an elongated manner. The dielectric tube (110) may consist of an inlet region (111), an outlet region (112), and a heating region (113).

[0040] The inlet region (111) is where raw material is introduced, and the outlet region (112) is where reaction material is discharged. The heating region (113) is where the raw material is heated to a thermal shock temperature to form the reaction material.

[0041] The above raw materials and the above reaction materials may be in powder form. For example, they may be raw materials for forming the positive and negative electrodes of a lithium secondary battery. In addition, the above raw materials may be various materials requiring heating or materials requiring calcination.

[0042] When the above raw material is the above cathode material, the above raw material may include silicon powder and graphite powder. In this case, the size of the silicon powder may be 600 nm to 5000 nm, and the size of the graphite powder may be 1000 nm to 20000 nm. In the above raw material, the proportion of the silicon powder may be 50% to 95% by weight, and the proportion of the graphite powder may be 50% to 5% by weight.

[0043] The dielectric tube (110) is formed of a material through which microwaves can pass. The materials used for the dielectric tube (110) may include quartz, PTFE, mica, and aluminum oxide (Al2O3).

[0044] The housing (120) is provided to surround the dielectric tube (110) between the inlet region (111) and the outlet region (112). That is, the housing (120) may be provided to surround the heating region (113).

[0045] Specifically, the housing (120) surrounds the heating region (113) located in the central part of the dielectric tube (110) and may be spaced apart from the dielectric tube (110) at a certain distance. That is, the dielectric tube (110) may be in a form that penetrates the housing (120) in a horizontal direction.

[0046] For example, the housing (120) may be a hollow cuboid or a cylinder shape formed long in the horizontal direction.

[0047] Meanwhile, a reflective layer (not shown) may be formed on the inner surface of the housing (120). The reflective layer can improve the reflection efficiency of the microwave.

[0048] The microwave generating units (130) are provided along the outer circumference of the housing (120) and irradiate microwaves into the interior of the housing (120) through openings (121) formed in the housing (120). The microwaves irradiated from the microwave generating units (130) can pass through the dielectric tube (110) to directly heat the raw material. Therefore, the raw material can be heated rapidly. In particular, the time required to reach the reaction temperature for reacting the raw material can be shortened.

[0049] The microwaves irradiated from the microwave generating units (130) can be reflected by a reflective layer formed on the inner surface of the housing (120) to heat the raw material. Thus, the heating efficiency of the raw material can be increased.

[0050] When the above raw material includes silicon powder and graphite powder, the silicon powder, which is the raw material, can be heated to a thermal shock temperature of 1400°C to 1600°C using microwaves generated from the microwave generating units (130) so that it can be melted or atomized. At this time, the heating time using the microwaves may be 10 seconds to 180 seconds, and preferably 30 seconds to 90 seconds.

[0051] The carbon powder is heated by the microwave, and the heated carbon powder transfers heat to the silicon powder, causing the silicon powder to melt or be atomized, and the melted or atomized silicon powder reacts with the carbon powder to produce the silicon carbide powder. Accordingly, the reaction material may include the silicon carbide powder and may further include residual silicon powder and residual graphite powder remaining after the silicon powder reacts with the carbon powder.

[0052] The production ratio of the silicon carbide powder above may be 1 to 20 weight%, and preferably 1 to 20 weight%.

[0053] As the production ratio of the silicon carbide powder increases, the heating temperature increases, and the heating time may also increase.

[0054] In addition, as the production ratio of the silicon carbide powder increases, the proportion of the silicon powder in the raw material may decrease, and the proportion of the graphite powder may increase.

[0055] In addition, the higher the production ratio of the silicon carbide powder, the smaller the size of the silicon powder and the graphite powder may be.

[0056] The above microwave generating units (150) may have a maximum output of 3KW or less so that air cooling is possible.

[0057] If the maximum output of the microwave generating units (150) exceeds 3KW, a cooling means for cooling the microwave generating units (150) may be additionally provided.

[0058] Meanwhile, permeable portions (not shown) capable of transmitting microwaves may be provided at the location where the openings (121) are formed. The permeable portions are formed of a material capable of transmitting microwaves and can seal the interior of the housing (110) by blocking the interior and exterior of the housing (110). Materials for the permeable portions may include quartz, PTFE, mica, and aluminum oxide (Al2O3).

[0059] The rotating tube (140) wraps around and secures the dielectric tube (110) exposed by the housing (120). That is, the rotating tube (140) is provided at each end of the dielectric tube (110) and wraps around and secures the inlet region (111) and the outlet region (112), respectively, excluding the heating region (113) wrapped by the housing (120).

[0060] The above-mentioned rotating tube (140) may be provided to be rotatable with respect to the housing (120). Since the rotating tube (140) fixes the dielectric tube (110), the rotating tube (140) can rotate with respect to the housing (120) together with the dielectric tube (110). That is, the rotating tube (140) can transmit rotational force to the dielectric tube (110).

[0061] Meanwhile, the rotary tube (140) can define microwave transmission and non-transmission regions of the dielectric tube (110) by suppressing microwave transmission in a part of the dielectric tube (110), namely the inlet region (111) and the outlet region (112).

[0062] The microwave transmission region may be the middle region of the dielectric tube (110), i.e., the heating region, and the microwave non-transmission region may be the two end regions of the dielectric tube (110), i.e., the inlet region (111) and the outlet region (112).

[0063] Although not illustrated in detail, bearings may be provided between the rotating tube (140) and the housing (120) and between the dielectric tube (110) and the housing (120) to ensure smooth rotation of the rotating tube (140) and the dielectric tube (110).

[0064] The above-mentioned rotary drive unit (150) supports the above-mentioned rotary tube (140) and can rotate the above-mentioned dielectric tube (110) and the above-mentioned rotary tube (140).

[0065] The above rotary drive unit (150) may include a motor (151), a drive gear (152), and a driven gear (153).

[0066] The motor (151) provides a driving force to rotate the rotating tube (140).

[0067] The driving gear (152) is connected to the motor (151) and rotates by the driving force. Additionally, the driving gear (152) engages with a driven gear (153) provided along the side circumference of the rotating tube (140). With the driving gear (152) and the driven gear (153) engaged, as the driving gear (152) rotates, the driven gear (153) rotates, allowing the rotating tube (140) and the dielectric tube (110) to rotate.

[0068] As the dielectric tube (110) rotates, the raw material introduced into the dielectric tube (110) also rotates together. Therefore, microwaves irradiated from the microwave generating units (130) can be uniformly supplied to the raw material. Consequently, the raw material can be heated uniformly without local temperature variations.

[0069] As the dielectric tube (110) rotates, the area where the raw material contacts the dielectric tube (110) in the heating area (113) can be continuously changed. Accordingly, the amount of heat conduction from the reaction material to the dielectric tube (110) can be reduced.

[0070] Therefore, even if the raw material is heated to a thermal shock temperature higher than the softening point of the dielectric tube (110), the dielectric tube (110) may not be heated to the thermal shock temperature and may be heated to a temperature lower than the softening point.

[0071] In addition, damage to the dielectric tube (110) caused by the raw material heated to the thermal shock temperature continuously coming into contact with a specific part of the dielectric tube (110) can be prevented. That is, damage to the dielectric tube (110) caused by the heat of the raw material can be prevented.

[0072] The sealing member (160) seals the inlet region (111) of the dielectric tube (110) and supports the rotating tube (140) so that it can rotate.

[0073] For example, the sealing member (160) seals the inlet region (111) of the dielectric tube (110) while supporting the rotating tube (140) located in the inlet region (111) in a stopper form so that it can rotate.

[0074] Although not described in detail, a bearing may be provided between the sealing member (160) and the rotating tube (140) to ensure smooth rotation of the rotating tube (140) and the dielectric tube (110).

[0075] Additionally, to seal the inlet area (111), a sealing member such as an O-ring may be provided between the sealing member (160) and the rotating tube (140) or between the sealing member (160) and the dielectric tube (110).

[0076] The sealing member (160) is fixed to the supply unit (170) and does not rotate like the rotating tube (140).

[0077] The supply unit (170) is provided on one side of the inlet area (111) and can supply the raw material to the inlet area (111) by penetrating the sealing member (160).

[0078] The supply unit (170) may include a hopper into which the raw material is fed, a transfer pipe connected to the lower part of the hopper and extending through the sealing member (160) to the first end of the dielectric pipe (110) to transfer the raw material to the dielectric pipe (110), a transfer screw rotatably provided inside the transfer pipe to transfer the raw material to the dielectric pipe (110), and a motor for rotating the transfer screw.

[0079] A sealing member, such as an O-ring, may be provided between the transfer pipe and the sealing member (160).

[0080] The receiving portion (180) is connected to the outlet area (112) and supports the rotating tube (140) so that it can rotate.

[0081] For example, the receiving portion (180) is approximately in the shape of a hollow cuboid, and the outlet area (112) and the rotating tube (140) penetrate one side of the receiving portion (180), and the rotating tube (140) located in the outlet area (112) is supported so as to be rotatable.

[0082] In addition, since the receiving portion (180) is connected to the outlet region (112), the receiving portion (180) can seal the outlet region (112) of the dielectric tube (110).

[0083] And, the receiving portion (180) can receive the reaction material discharged through the outlet area (112) inside.

[0084] Although not described in detail, a bearing may be provided between the receiving portion (180) and the rotating tube (140) to ensure smooth rotation of the rotating tube (140) and the dielectric tube (110).

[0085] Additionally, to seal the outlet area (112), a sealing member such as an O-ring may be provided between the receiving portion (180) and the rotating tube (140) or between the receiving portion (180) and the dielectric tube (110).

[0086] The above receiving portion (180) may be provided with an outlet (181) on the lower surface for discharging the reaction material.

[0087] To maintain the above-mentioned receiving portion (180) in a sealed state, the discharge port (181) can be opened and closed by a valve (182).

[0088] Except when the above reaction material is discharged through the outlet (181), the valve (182) can keep the outlet (181) in a closed state, so the receiving portion (180) can be kept in a sealed state.

[0089] The above recovery unit (190) is positioned below the above receiving unit (180) and can recover the reaction material discharged through the above discharge port (181).

[0090] For example, the above recovery unit (190) may be in the shape of a container with an open top surface.

[0091] The atmosphere forming part (200) is connected to the dielectric tube (110), and the dielectric tube (110) can be formed into an inert gas atmosphere to prevent oxidation of the raw material.

[0092] Examples of the above inert gases include helium, neon, argon, krypton, xenon, radon, nitrogen, etc.

[0093] The atmosphere forming part (200) may include an inert gas supply pipe (201) that penetrates the sealing member (160) and supplies the inert gas to the dielectric tube (110), and an inert gas discharge pipe (203) that penetrates the receiving part (180) and discharges the inert gas from the dielectric tube (110).

[0094] The inert gas supply pipe (201) and the inert gas discharge pipe (203) are each equipped with opening and closing valves (202, 204), and the inert gas supply pipe (201) and the inert gas discharged pipe (203) can be selectively opened and closed using the opening and closing valves (202, 204).

[0095] Since the dielectric tube (110) can be formed into an inert atmosphere using the above inert gas, the raw material can be prevented from being oxidized while the raw material is heated.

[0096] In addition, the atmosphere forming part (200) can function as a first circulation part (200).

[0097] The first circulation unit (200) can cool the dielectric tube (110) by circulating an inert gas inside the dielectric tube (110). Thus, it is possible to prevent the dielectric tube (110) from being damaged by the raw material heated to the thermal shock temperature.

[0098] Meanwhile, while the reaction material moves from the heating region (113) to the outlet region (112), the inert gas circulated by the first circulation unit (200) can rapidly cool the reaction material. Since the silicon powder among the raw materials can be rapidly heated to the thermal shock temperature and rapidly cooled with the inert gas, the change in the crystal grain size of the silicon powder or the reaction material can be minimized.

[0099] The second circulation unit (210) is connected to the housing (120), and the inert gas can be circulated between the dielectric tube (110) and the housing (120) to cool the outer surface of the heating area (113) in order to prevent the dielectric tube (110) from being damaged by the raw material heated to the thermal shock temperature.

[0100] The second circulation unit (210) may include an inert gas supply pipe (211) that penetrates one side of the housing (120) and supplies the inert gas into the interior of the housing (120), and an inert gas discharge pipe (213) that penetrates the other side of the housing (120) and discharges the inert gas from the interior of the housing (120).

[0101] Each of the inert gas supply pipe (211) and the inert gas discharge pipe (213) is equipped with opening and closing valves (212, 214), and the inert gas supply pipe (211) and the inert gas discharged pipe (213) can be selectively opened and closed using the opening and closing valves (212, 214).

[0102] The inert gas supplied into the interior of the housing (120) can cool the outer surface of the dielectric tube (110), particularly the outer surface of the heating area (113). Thus, damage to the dielectric tube (110) by the raw material heated to the thermal shock temperature can be prevented.

[0103] Meanwhile, a heat dissipation means (not shown) may be further provided to contact the outer surface of the dielectric tube (110) and receive heat from the dielectric tube (110) and dissipate it to the outside. Examples of the heat dissipation means include gas, liquid, solid, etc. The gas is preferably an inert gas, the liquid is preferably water, and the solid is preferably a metal, but is not limited thereto.

[0104] The above heat dissipation means can cool the dielectric tube (110) through the heat dissipation, thereby preventing the dielectric tube (110) from being damaged by heat.

[0105] Meanwhile, since the dielectric tube (110) is cooled by the second circulation unit (210) or the heat dissipation means, the reaction material can be cooled more rapidly while moving from the heating area (113) to the outlet area (112).

[0106] The temperature sensor unit (220) can measure the temperature of the dielectric tube (110) or the raw material. Specifically, the temperature sensor unit (220) can measure the temperature of the heating area (113) or the temperature of the raw material heated to a thermal shock temperature by microwaves.

[0107] The temperature sensor unit (220) is preferably provided on the inner side of the housing (120), but may be provided on the outer side of the dielectric tube (110), provided spaced apart from the dielectric tube (110) or the housing (120), or provided on the support plate (230), and may be provided in various other locations.

[0108] The above control unit (not shown) can control at least one of the rotational drive unit (150), the first circulation unit (200), and the second circulation unit (210) according to the measurement result of the temperature sensor unit (220) to control the rotational speed of the dielectric tube (110) and the flow rate or velocity of the inert gas.

[0109] By adjusting the rotational speed of the dielectric tube (110), the contact time between the raw material heated to the thermal shock temperature and the dielectric tube (110) can be controlled. Additionally, the temperature of the dielectric tube (110) can be controlled by adjusting the flow rate or velocity of the inert gas. Therefore, the

[0110] By controlling the rotational speed of the dielectric tube (110) and the flow rate or velocity of the inert gas, the dielectric tube (110) can be effectively prevented from being damaged by the heat of the raw material.

[0111] The support plate (230) has a roughly flat shape and can support the housing (120), the rotary drive unit (150), the supply unit (170), and the receiving unit (180).

[0112] The above-mentioned inclination adjustment unit (240) can be connected to the support plate (230) to adjust the inclination of the support plate (230).

[0113] For example, as shown in FIGS. 1 and FIGS. 4, the inclination adjustment unit (240) is configured to raise and lower one side of the support plate (230). At this time, the other side of the support plate (230) may be supported by being hinge-connected to a separate support member.

[0114] As another example, although not illustrated, the inclination adjustment part (240) may be provided to rotate the support plate (230).

[0115] The above-described inclination adjustment unit (240) can simultaneously adjust the inclination of the housing (120), the rotary driving unit (150), the supply unit (170), and the receiving unit (180) by adjusting the inclination of the support plate (230). Accordingly, the inclination of the dielectric tube (110) can be adjusted so that the inlet region (111) of the dielectric tube (110) is high and the outlet region (112) is low. At this time, the inclination angle of the dielectric tube (110) may be about 3 to 15 degrees, preferably about 5 to 11 degrees, with respect to the horizontal plane.

[0116] Due to the inclination of the dielectric tube (110), the raw material can naturally move from the inlet region (111) to the outlet region (112) while the dielectric tube (110) rotates.

[0117] In addition, since the inclination of the housing (120), the rotary drive unit (150), the supply unit (170), and the receiving unit (180) is adjusted simultaneously, the connection between the sealing member (160) and the inlet area (111) and the connection between the receiving unit (180) and the outlet area (112) can be maintained. Therefore, the sealed state of the dielectric tube (110) can be maintained.

[0118] The inert gas supply pipe (201) and the inert gas discharge pipe (203) may be made of flexible pipes that can be bent or folded. Accordingly, even if the inclination of the housing (120), the rotary drive unit (150), the supply unit (170), and the receiving unit (180) is adjusted, the inert gas supply pipe (201) and the inert gas discharge pipe (203) can stably maintain a connection state with the sealing member (160) and the receiving unit (180).

[0119] Meanwhile, the dielectric tube (110) may remain in a horizontal state without being inclined. Even in this case, since the dielectric tube (110) rotates, the raw material can move from the inlet region (111) to the outlet region (112).

[0120] According to the present invention, the microwave heating device can rapidly and uniformly heat a raw material and prevent the raw material from oxidizing while it is being heated. Accordingly, the quality of the reaction material formed by heating the raw material to a thermal shock temperature can be improved.

[0121] In addition, the microwave heating device can prevent the dielectric tube from being damaged by the heat of the raw material by rotating the dielectric tube or circulating an inert gas. Therefore, the lifespan of the microwave heating device can be extended.

[0122] Although the present invention has been described above with reference to preferred embodiments, those skilled in the art will understand that various modifications and changes can be made to the invention without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as set forth in the following claims.

Claims

1. A dielectric tube comprising an inlet region into which a raw material is introduced, an outlet region into which a reaction material is discharged, and a heating region between the inlet region and the outlet region in which the raw material is heated to a thermal shock temperature to form the reaction material; A housing provided to surround the heating region of the above-mentioned genome tube; Microwave generating units provided along the outer circumference of the housing and irradiating microwaves to penetrate the heating area through openings formed in the housing to heat the raw material to the thermal shock temperature; A rotating tube that wraps around and fixes the inlet region and outlet region of the dielectric tube and is configured to be rotatable with respect to the housing, together with the dielectric tube; and A rotary driving unit that supports the rotary tube and rotates the dielectric tube and the rotary tube so that the microwave uniformly heats the raw material of the dielectric tube; A microwave heating device characterized by preventing damage to the dielectric tube caused by the raw material heated to the thermal shock temperature continuously contacting a specific part of the dielectric tube by changing the contact area of ​​the raw material in the heating region through the rotation of the dielectric tube.

2. In Paragraph 1, A microwave heating device characterized by further including a first circulation unit connected to the dielectric tube and cooling the dielectric tube by circulating an inert gas inside the dielectric tube to prevent the dielectric tube from being damaged by the raw material heated to the thermal shock temperature.

3. In Paragraph 1, A microwave heating device further comprising: a second circulation unit connected to the housing and circulating an inert gas between the dielectric tube and the housing to cool the outer surface of the heating region in order to prevent the dielectric tube from being damaged by the raw material heated to the thermal shock temperature.

4. In any one of paragraphs 1 through 3, A temperature sensor unit for measuring the temperature of the heating area; and A microwave heating device further comprising: a control unit that controls at least one of the rotational drive unit, the first circulation unit, and the second circulation unit according to the measurement result of the temperature sensor unit, thereby controlling the rotational speed of the dielectric tube and the flow rate or velocity of the inert gas.

5. In Paragraph 1, The above raw material includes the silicon powder and the carbon powder, and A microwave heating device characterized in that the above reaction material includes silicon carbide powder.

6. In Paragraph 1, A sealing member that seals the inlet region of the above-mentioned dielectric tube while supporting the rotational tube so that it can rotate; A supply unit provided on one side of the above-mentioned inlet region and supplying the raw material to the inlet region by penetrating the sealing member; and A microwave heating device characterized by further including: a receiving portion connected to the outlet region and supporting the rotating tube so that it can rotate, and receiving the reaction material discharged through the outlet region.

7. In Paragraph 6, A microwave heating device characterized by further including an atmosphere forming part connected to the dielectric tube and forming the dielectric tube into an inert gas atmosphere to prevent oxidation of the raw material.

8. In Paragraph 6, The above receiving portion is provided with an outlet on its lower surface for discharging the reaction material, and A microwave heating device characterized in that the outlet is opened and closed by a valve to maintain the above-mentioned receiving portion in a sealed state.

9. In Paragraph 6, A support plate supporting the above housing, the above rotary drive unit, the above supply unit and the above receiving unit; and A microwave heating device characterized by further including a slope adjustment unit connected to the support plate to adjust the slope of the support plate, and adjusting the slope of the dielectric tube such that the inlet area of ​​the dielectric tube is high and the outlet area is low while maintaining a sealed state of the dielectric tube.

10. A dielectric tube having an inlet region into which a raw material is introduced and an outlet region into which a reaction material formed by heating the raw material to a thermal shock temperature is discharged; and Microwave generating units disposed at a predetermined position in the circumferential direction of the dielectric tube and irradiating microwaves to heat the raw material within the dielectric tube to the thermal shock temperature; The above genome tube, A microwave heating device characterized by being rotated to reduce the movement of the raw material from the inlet region to the outlet region and the heat conduction from the reaction material.

11. In Paragraph 10, The above raw material includes silicon powder and carbon powder, and The above reaction material is, A microwave heating device characterized by comprising silicon carbide powder formed by the silicon powder receiving heat transfer from the heated carbon powder and reacting with the carbon powder, wherein the carbon powder is heated to a temperature of 1400 ℃ to 1600 ℃ by the microwave.

12. In Paragraph 10, A microwave heating device characterized by further including a rotary tube that transmits rotational force to the dielectric tube, which suppresses the transmission of microwaves to a portion of the dielectric tube to define the microwave transmission region and the non-transmission region of the dielectric tube.

13. In Paragraph 10, A microwave heating device characterized by further including a heat dissipation means that contacts the outer surface of the dielectric tube and receives heat from the dielectric tube to dissipate heat.

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