Microwave Treatment Device with Dynamic Zone Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Microwave treatment devices struggle to achieve uniform heating or pasteurization of food products with different microwave absorption coefficients, leading to uneven cooking or temperature distribution, as existing methods cannot adjust microwave intensity precisely to individual components or areas within the treatment chamber.
Innovation Solution
A method that involves collecting and verifying parameters during the treatment process using sensors or cameras to adjust microwave intensity in real-time, allowing for precise control of temperature and layer thickness, enabling adjustment of treatment parameters to match the product's properties and desired outcomes, and using multiple coupling elements for targeted microwave distribution.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Stability of the object's composition
If a cavity resonator is used to achieve uniform microwave distribution, then homogeneous radiation distribution is improved, but the ability to adjust microwave intensity to different products or areas is lost
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the treatment chamber into multiple zones with independent microwave coupling elements. Each zone can be controlled separately to provide different microwave intensities to different areas, allowing simultaneous uniform distribution and intensive adjustment for specific product regions.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements dynamic control of microwave coupling elements, allowing real-time adjustment of microwave intensity and distribution patterns. This enables the system to adapt to different products and treatment requirements while maintaining overall uniformity through coordinated control of multiple coupling elements.
2Reliability
If treatment duration is increased to compensate for temperature deviations, then treatment completeness is improved, but productivity deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs preliminary measurements of product properties (such as microwave absorption coefficients) before treatment. This allows pre-calculation of optimal treatment parameters, enabling shorter treatment durations while maintaining completeness through accurate initial parameter selection rather than extended processing time.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements real-time temperature monitoring and feedback control during treatment. Temperature sensors provide continuous data that feeds back to the control system, which dynamically adjusts microwave power and treatment time to maintain target temperatures, ensuring treatment completeness without requiring excessive treatment duration.
3Reliability
If microwave intensity is increased to ensure pasteurisation, then safety is improved, but risk of overheating and burning deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies different microwave intensities to different regions of the treatment chamber based on local requirements. High intensity is applied only to specific zones where pasteurisation is critical, while other areas receive lower intensity, preventing overall overheating and burning while ensuring adequate treatment effectiveness.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs pulsed or periodic microwave application rather than continuous high-intensity radiation. This allows heat to distribute more uniformly throughout the product during off-periods, achieving pasteurisation through repeated cycles of heating and heat distribution without causing localized burning or excessive temperature rise.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This approach ensures consistent and efficient treatment by adjusting microwave intensity and distribution dynamically, reducing waste and ensuring that all components of a dish are cooked evenly and at the required temperature, thereby improving the quality and safety of processed foods.
Implementation Method 1
the microwave radiation is absorbed to different extents by different materials with differing microwave absorption coefficients
Implementation Method 2
the molecular rotation of the product is preferably excited and heat is thus generated
Implementation Method 3
a plasma can be generated by the microwave energy and a surface of products can be coated or changed with the help of the plasma
Data Source
AI summary
The invention relates to a method for treating products in a microwave treatment device and to a microwave treatment device. The microwave treatment device has at least one treatment chamber and at least two coupling elements. The coupling elements are designed to couple microwaves into the treatment chamber during a treatment step (2) so that a product arranged in the treatment chamber is treated by the microwaves propagating in the treatment chamber. In a characteristic ascertaining step (3), characteristics are detected, wherein a check is carried out on the basis of the characteristics in a checking step (4) in order to determine whether an actual treatment result corresponds to a specified target treatment result.