Development of an Intensive Microwave-Thermal Treatment Technology for Heterogenic Environments

The study suggests a technology of intensive, energy-efficient microwave-thermal mass transfer during washing and drying of agricultural and industrial products in a non-resonant microwave chamber with a uniform heating field. The chamber is equipped with a vacuum pump and an ultrasonic generator and is functionally connected to the evaporator and condenser of the heat pump. The traveling wave mode in the microwave chamber and intense evaporation are facilitated by the microwave field energy concentrator in the volume of the environment and the absorbing ferrite coating, which converts the ballast energy of the field into thermal energy on a perforated partition for products. This helps to reduce the significant cost of time and energy in the case of washing and drying heterogenic environments.The article substantiates the direction of developing the physicotechnical foundations of microwave-thermal treatment of environments with the aim of washing products using ultrasonic and microwave generators in a vacuum chamber to intensify the process. The authors show the necessity of developing the theory and practice of manufacturing and using radio-absorbing materials converting field energy to thermal energy. A coordinated integration of the upgraded microwave and additional convection drying technologies is proposed for the purpose to harmonize economical, intensive and environmentally friendly mass transfer of moisture during drying of the processed environment. It was found that the achievement and use of a synergistic effect, namely the energy efficiency of the process of complete drying in the middle of the chamber, contributes to the intensive evaporation of moisture from products in a uniform electromagnetic field in the chamber and the current dehumidification of moist air by the heat pump evaporator. Dry air is supplied into the microwave chamber after it is heated by the heat pump condenser. This contributes to a significantly more effective washing and drying of products. The application of this circuit solution and the optimal parameters of the regime in practice make it possible to solve the contradictory problem of increasing the efficiency and environmental friendliness of the processes in everyday life as well as in agricultural and industrial production.