WO1994017647A1 - Arrangement for continuous heat treatment with microwave energy - Google Patents
Arrangement for continuous heat treatment with microwave energy Download PDFInfo
- Publication number
- WO1994017647A1 WO1994017647A1 PCT/SE1994/000031 SE9400031W WO9417647A1 WO 1994017647 A1 WO1994017647 A1 WO 1994017647A1 SE 9400031 W SE9400031 W SE 9400031W WO 9417647 A1 WO9417647 A1 WO 9417647A1
- Authority
- WO
- WIPO (PCT)
- Prior art keywords
- microwave energy
- product units
- conveyor belt
- arrangement according
- treatment chamber
- Prior art date
Links
Classifications
-
- H—ELECTRICITY
- H05—ELECTRIC TECHNIQUES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
- H05B—ELECTRIC HEATING; ELECTRIC LIGHT SOURCES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; CIRCUIT ARRANGEMENTS FOR ELECTRIC LIGHT SOURCES, IN GENERAL
- H05B6/00—Heating by electric, magnetic or electromagnetic fields
- H05B6/64—Heating using microwaves
- H05B6/78—Arrangements for continuous movement of material
- H05B6/782—Arrangements for continuous movement of material wherein the material moved is food
Definitions
- the present invention relates to an arrangement for continuous heat treatment of product units with micro ⁇ wave energy.
- the arrangement comprises a treatment chamber in the form of a tunnel, means for generation and distribution of microwave energy in the chamber and a conveyor belt which is transparent to microwaves for transportation of the product units through the chamber.
- a problem with microwave heating of product units which by means of a transport device are conveyed through a microwave field is the tendency that the energy is concentrated to the edges and corners of the product units.
- In order to protect these for a local overheating one has tried to pack the product units in packages with built in protection zones or tried to distribute the microwave energy with sophisticated control methods. Hovever both these methods involve considerably increased costs per treated product unit.
- the arrangement according to the invention is mainly characterized in that means which shield parts of the product units from microwave energy during the trans ⁇ portation through the treatment chamber are arranged in the same.
- the product units which are treated in the arrangement according to the invention may be packaged or unpackaged. They may consist of food or some other product which demands some kind of heat treatment.
- the heat treatment may aim at a thermal stabilization, a pasteurization or a sterilization.
- the product units which are to be treated in the arrangement have in common that they are relatively thin, 5-20 mm. Also products with a larger thickness may be treated in the arrangement.
- the arrangement according to the invention is with advantage provided with a second movable belt which is arranged above the conveyor belt on a distance from the same which mainly corresponds to the thickness of the product units.
- the means which shield the product units from microwave energy suitably consist of exchangeable, longitudinal inserts arranged between the means which supply the microwave energy coming from the microwave generators - the applicators - and the product units on the conveyor belt.
- the shielding is arranged above the conveyor belt when the applicators are arranged above the conveyor belt. If one for some reason should choose to supply the microwave energy from below the shielding shall of course be arranged under the conveyor belt.
- the shielding may rapidly and simply be adapted to product units with varying form and size.
- the shielding consists of sections which are untransparent to microwave energy inserted or interwoven into the second mentioned movable belt and/or the conveyor belt.
- the extension of the mentioned inserts perpendicular to the direction of motion of the conveyor belt may vary along the length of the treatment chamber.
- the microwave energy which is supplied to the product units may be closely controlled and adapted to the demands of the specific product.
- the shielding may consequently cover a larger part of the area of the product unit either immediately after the entrance into the treatment chamber or during a later phase, alter- natively be changed stepwise in a manner which is suitable for the product.
- microwave generators By varying the amount of added microwave energy by supplying a larger or a smaller amount of microwave energy to the treatment chamber by way of the appli ⁇ cators connected to the microwave generators, there is according to the invention an additional possibility to control the distribution of the microwave energy in a simple manner.
- microwave generators which give a larger amount of microwave energy for heating in the first part of the treatment chamber seen in the direction of transportation while generators with a lower effect are used in the rear part of the treat ⁇ ment chamber.
- the means which distribute the microwave energy in the treatment chamber are with advantage arranged in such a way that they give a microwave field which is at an angle to the direction of movement of the conveyor belt. With such an arrangement it is avoided that microwave energy which is reflected against the bottom of the treatment chamber is radiated into the applicator.
- the applicators which are used work with two vertical TM-modes, at which the dominant mode is close to the limit frequency.
- the dominant mode has such a low impedance that it heats without reflection but is simultaneously mismatched to the free space.
- fig 1 there is shown schematically an arrangement comprising treatment chamber and conveyor belt
- fig 2 there is shown schematically a cross-section through the treatment chamber
- fig 3 and 4 there are shown examples on the design of shielding inserts.
- the arrangement 1 comprises microwave generators 2 ( fig 2 ) arranged above a conveyor belt 3. Above the conveyor belt 3 there is a second movable endless belt 4. Between leakage traps 5, which hinder the microwave energy to leak out from the arrangement there is a treatment chamber 6, where product units 7, which are to be heat treated, are heated by microwave energy.
- the product units are fed in between two conveyor belts 3 and 4 transparent to microwaves.
- the microwave energy emitted from the micro ⁇ wave generator is led to an applicator 9 by way of a wave guide 8, which distributes the microwave energy towards the product units on the conveyor belt.
- the field is directed in an acute angle to the direction of movement of the conveyor belt in order to avoid that energy is reflected against the bottom of the treatment chamber up towards the appli- cator.
- the reflection is about 30 % of supplied effect, which is used to heat the product units from the under ⁇ side.
- shieldings 10 which hinder the microwave energy to enter into sections of the product units.
- the shieldings 10 may be shaped as an exchangeable rack ( fig 3 ) which is arranged in the treatment chamber after the leakage trap or as longitudinal inserts (fig 4) with an extension which varies along the length of the treat ⁇ ment chamber.
- the inserts may consist of metallic material including aluminium which effectively shields the microwaves and at that hinders these from entering into parts of the product units.
- the inserts may be shaped in a large number of ways depen ⁇ ding on the form and thickness of the product units, their dielectric properties, structure and homogneous- ness.
- the distribution of temperature in the product units is controlled by the combination: time, microwave effect and degree of shielding.
- the number of generators with accompanying wave guides and applicators depends on the capacity of the arrange- ment, preferably between 100-1000 kg/hour.
- a stacking device for "shingled" products alternatively a handling device for stacked, cylindrical, square or rectangular packages in order to obtain a constant feeding of product units into the arrangement.
- This is of impor ⁇ tance in order that the amount of product that the microwaves should heat per time unit must be kept constant in order to obtain an even temperature of the product units.
- the stacking principle depends on the fact that the feeding belt runs with a suitably higher speed in order to achieve an overlapping.
- the speed of the stacking belt is mechanically adjusted to the speed of the conveyor belt at which the same overlapping is obtained if the rate of the conveyor belt i.e. the treatment time is changed.
- Suitable products within the food field may consist of sliced products as cooked ham, German sausage, prepared products as hot dogs, patties, soft cheese, hamburgers and meat balls.
- the treatment time for the product units i.e. the rate for the conveyor belt is usually chosen such that the holding time is 60-120 seconds, for products which are more difficult to treat the holding time may be as long as 4 minutes.
Abstract
Description
Claims
Priority Applications (3)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
---|---|---|---|
JP6516914A JPH08505733A (en) | 1993-01-21 | 1994-01-18 | Device for continuous heat treatment with microwave energy |
EP94905889A EP0680684A1 (en) | 1993-01-21 | 1994-01-18 | Arrangement for continuous heat treatment with microwave energy |
AU59815/94A AU5981594A (en) | 1993-01-21 | 1994-01-18 | Arrangement for continuous heat treatment with microwave energy |
Applications Claiming Priority (2)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
---|---|---|---|
SE9300167A SE470570B (en) | 1993-01-21 | 1993-01-21 | Device for continuous heat treatment with microwave energy |
SE9300167-5 | 1993-01-21 |
Publications (1)
Publication Number | Publication Date |
---|---|
WO1994017647A1 true WO1994017647A1 (en) | 1994-08-04 |
Family
ID=20388609
Family Applications (1)
Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
---|---|---|---|
PCT/SE1994/000031 WO1994017647A1 (en) | 1993-01-21 | 1994-01-18 | Arrangement for continuous heat treatment with microwave energy |
Country Status (5)
Country | Link |
---|---|
EP (1) | EP0680684A1 (en) |
JP (1) | JPH08505733A (en) |
AU (1) | AU5981594A (en) |
SE (1) | SE470570B (en) |
WO (1) | WO1994017647A1 (en) |
Families Citing this family (1)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
JP2014022253A (en) * | 2012-07-20 | 2014-02-03 | Nisshin Seifun Group Inc | High-frequency heating device |
Citations (5)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US4246462A (en) * | 1975-10-09 | 1981-01-20 | Nicolas Meisel | Microwave tunnel oven for the continuous processing of food products |
WO1986001065A1 (en) * | 1984-07-30 | 1986-02-13 | Superwave Technology, Inc. | Conveyorized microwave heating system |
DE3806816C2 (en) * | 1987-04-15 | 1989-02-02 | Hermann Berstorff Maschinenbau Gmbh, 3000 Hannover, De | |
US4889966A (en) * | 1988-08-08 | 1989-12-26 | Apv Magnetronics Limited | Apparatus for heating discrete packages of products using microwaves |
WO1992016084A1 (en) * | 1991-03-11 | 1992-09-17 | Alcan International Limited | Microwave tunnel oven |
-
1993
- 1993-01-21 SE SE9300167A patent/SE470570B/en not_active IP Right Cessation
-
1994
- 1994-01-18 EP EP94905889A patent/EP0680684A1/en not_active Withdrawn
- 1994-01-18 JP JP6516914A patent/JPH08505733A/en active Pending
- 1994-01-18 WO PCT/SE1994/000031 patent/WO1994017647A1/en not_active Application Discontinuation
- 1994-01-18 AU AU59815/94A patent/AU5981594A/en not_active Abandoned
Patent Citations (5)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US4246462A (en) * | 1975-10-09 | 1981-01-20 | Nicolas Meisel | Microwave tunnel oven for the continuous processing of food products |
WO1986001065A1 (en) * | 1984-07-30 | 1986-02-13 | Superwave Technology, Inc. | Conveyorized microwave heating system |
DE3806816C2 (en) * | 1987-04-15 | 1989-02-02 | Hermann Berstorff Maschinenbau Gmbh, 3000 Hannover, De | |
US4889966A (en) * | 1988-08-08 | 1989-12-26 | Apv Magnetronics Limited | Apparatus for heating discrete packages of products using microwaves |
WO1992016084A1 (en) * | 1991-03-11 | 1992-09-17 | Alcan International Limited | Microwave tunnel oven |
Also Published As
Publication number | Publication date |
---|---|
SE470570B (en) | 1994-08-29 |
SE9300167L (en) | 1994-07-22 |
AU5981594A (en) | 1994-08-15 |
JPH08505733A (en) | 1996-06-18 |
SE9300167D0 (en) | 1993-01-21 |
EP0680684A1 (en) | 1995-11-08 |
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