An apparatus and method for microwave vacuum-drying of organic materials such as food products. The dehydration apparatus (10) has a vacuum chamber (12) with a loading module (14) at one end and a discharge module (22) at the other. The vacuum chamber has access doors (80) spaced between the input end (16) and the discharge end (24) which provide operator and maintenance access. Microwave generators (86) are mounted on each access door and arranged to radiate through a microwave chamber and microwave-transparent window on the access door into the vacuum chamber. The waveguides on a respective access door are oriented to minimize microwave interference between the magnetrons on that door. A conveyor (60) in the vacuum chamber moves the organic material (96) on trays (18) through the vacuum chamber.

A continuous microwave freeze-drying device comprises a vacuum water-trapping system (1), a microwave shield plate (2), a microwave bin (6) and a freeze-drying bin (5) located in the microwave bin (6), wherein the freeze-drying bin (5) comprises an upper bin opening, a left bin wall, a right bin wall and a bottom bin wall, and the left, right and bottom bin walls are all made from nonmetal wave transmitting materials, such as polyfluortetraethylene, polyethylene, polypropylene or quartz glass. The device solves the technical problem of freeze-drying failure caused by glow discharge of microwave under freeze-drying environment.

The present disclosure discloses a vacuum drying tank, including a shell and a pumping device. The shell includes a first shell part, a second shell part, and a third shell part; the second shell part has an accommodating cavity provided with an opening in the top; an air pumping hole is formed in the accommodating cavity; the first shell part is, hermetically covered at the opening; the third shell part is arranged below the second shell part; the pumping device is arranged in the third shell part and is communicated with the air pumping hole; and the pumping device is used for pumping out air in the accommodating cavity from the air pumping hole, so that the accommodating cavity is in a vacuum state.

An apparatus and method for providing a simpler and more robust mechanism for transporting materials to be dried through a vacuum microwave chamber in rotating containers. The apparatus (20) has a vacuum chamber (22), an input end (26) to introduce a container (24) into the chamber, and a discharge end (28) to remove the container. The container has spur gear teeth (60) extending along its outer circumferential surface. The apparatus has a single roller (42) having spur gear teeth (46) extending along its outer circumferential surface. The spur gear teeth of the roller mesh with the spur gear teeth of the container such that rotation of the roller about its longitudinal axis rotates the container. The apparatus also includes means for holding the container on the roller, means for moving the container through the chamber, a microwave generator 76 arranged for transmission of microwave radiation from the generator into the chamber, and means for reducing pressure inside the chamber.

A vacuum condensation drier may include a drier configured to dry a raw material containing a solvent through heat-exchange between the raw material and a heat transfer fluid and discharge an evaporation solvent evaporated in the drying process; a condenser configured to receive the evaporation solvent, condense the evaporation solvent into a condensate solvent through heat-exchange with a refrigerant, and discharge the condensate refrigerant; a heat pump configured to recover heat from the refrigerant through heat-exchange between a heat-exchange medium and the refrigerant, and supply the recovered heat energy to the heat transfer fluid through heat-exchange with the heat-exchange medium; a vacuum pump connected to the condenser and configured to reduce pressure inside the condenser and discharge non-condensable gas produced in the condensation process of the solvent; and a heat transfer fluid tank disposed on a line connecting the heat pump and the drier, including a heat transfer fluid heater.