Analysis of Dielectric Attached on Sweep Frequency Microwave Heating Uniformity

Abstract

Traditional microwave heating faces challenges such as low efficiency and uneven heating, hindering its industrial application. Sweep frequency microwave heating is an effective way to improve uniformity. Larger cavity sizes result in better heating uniformity due to the generation of more resonant modes. However, in industrial applications, large cavities occupy significant space, making them less flexible and limiting their usability. This paper introduces a method to enhance sweep frequency microwave heating uniformity by adding a dielectric substance to cavity walls. First, the impact of increasing cavity size on the uniformity of sweep frequency microwave heating was studied, with the theoretical analysis showing that filling the cavity with dielectric materials can be equivalent to enlarging the cavity size. Subsequently, a multiphysics simulation model for sweep frequency microwave heating was established to analyze the effects of dielectric substance thickness and permittivity on heating uniformity. A high-efficiency, high-uniformity microwave multimode cavity was designed, and the accuracy of the simulation model was validated through experiments. Finally, the effects of sweep frequency range and load variations on the heating performance were analyzed. This method effectively addresses the uniformity issues in industrial microwave heating and aids in promoting the application of microwave energy in industry.