The present disclosure relates to a facility for forming a wood plastic composite by mixing and extruding wood powder and a polymer resin. According to a facility of the present disclosure, in a process of forming a wood plastic composite, gas and water vapor contained in wood powder and polymer resin are efficiently removed, and thus, a coupling force between wood powder and polymer resin increases, and also, wood powder is uniformly dispersed inside polymer resin, and thus, physical properties of a wood plastic composite to be formed is not degraded, and in addition, since there is no stagnant section while molten liquid of wood powder and polymer resin passes through each apparatus in the facility, wood powder is prevented from carbonizing or polymer resin is prevented from solidifying, and thus, physical properties of the wood plastic composite to be formed are maintained constant.

A method of uniform RF-heating within a chamber is disclosed, which includes cyclically varying electromagnetic properties of a chamber according to a plurality of configuration, transmitting an alternating RF signal about a first frequency range between a first frequency and a second frequency from a transmitter into the chamber, measuring electromagnetic power at a random receiver location in the chamber for each of the plurality of configurations and at a predetermined resolution of frequency thereby generating a statistical distribution vs. frequency, applying a statistical test to the generated statistical distribution based on a predetermined statistical function, determining a standard deviation of the average received power as a function of frequency, choosing a third frequency range associated with a standard deviation lower than a second threshold, and choosing an operational frequency in the third frequency range which provides maximum heating depending on the material being heated.

A method of uniform RF-heating within a chamber is disclosed, which includes cyclically varying electromagnetic properties of a chamber according to a plurality of configuration, transmitting an alternating RF signal about a first frequency range between a first frequency and a second frequency from a transmitter into the chamber, measuring electromagnetic power at a random receiver location in the chamber for each of the plurality of configurations and at a predetermined resolution of frequency thereby generating a statistical distribution vs. frequency, applying a statistical test to the generated statistical distribution based on a predetermined statistical function, determining a standard deviation of the average received power as a function of frequency, choosing a third frequency range associated with a standard deviation lower than a second threshold, and choosing an operational frequency in the third frequency range which provides maximum heating depending on the material being heated.

A drying device includes: a dielectric heating unit configured to apply an alternating electrical field to a medium onto which a liquid containing a conductive material, water, and a solvent has been discharged, and perform dielectric heating of the liquid; and a conductive member disposed either to make contact with or to be close to the medium to which the alternating electrical field is being applied.

A seed cotton dryer comprises an array of electromagnetic wave energy generators in a cotton gin, a cotton picker/stripper. An appropriate amount of energy is used to evaporate a considerable amount of moisture in the seed cotton without producing enough energy to pop the cotton seeds. Seed cotton dried by wave energy is much easier to separate the cotton seeds and lint from leaves, stems and other plant parts. The seed cotton is preferably transported through the dryer in a conduit having flat sides which reflects the wave energy more efficiently than through a round conduit. Provisions are made to prevent arcing in the transport conduit when extraneous metal pieces are inadvertently mixed with the seed cotton. In some embodiments, heated air from a diesel engine is used to dry crops as they are being harvested.

A seed cotton dryer comprises an array of electromagnetic wave energy generators in a cotton gin, a cotton picker/stripper. An appropriate amount of energy is used to evaporate a considerable amount of moisture in the seed cotton without producing enough energy to pop the cotton seeds. Seed cotton dried by wave energy is much easier to separate the cotton seeds and lint from leaves, stems and other plant parts. The seed cotton is preferably transported through the dryer in a conduit having flat sides which reflects the wave energy more efficiently than through a round conduit. Provisions are made to prevent arcing in the transport conduit when extraneous metal pieces are inadvertently mixed with the seed cotton. In some embodiments, heated air from a diesel engine is used to dry crops as they are being harvested.

The invention relates to a device and a method for freeze-drying products, wherein products are arranged in a drying chamber (2) for a freeze-drying process, wherein energy is supplied to the products arranged in the drying chamber (2) by means of microwaves at least during some parts of the freeze-drying process, and wherein the microwaves are generated by at least one microwave module (6) based on semiconductor technology. The invention also relates to the use of a microwave module (6) based on semiconductor technology in a freeze-drying process.

The invention relates to a device and a method for freeze-drying products, wherein products are arranged in a drying chamber (2) for a freeze-drying process, wherein energy is supplied to the products arranged in the drying chamber (2) by means of microwaves at least during some parts of the freeze-drying process, and wherein the microwaves are generated by at least one microwave module (6) based on semiconductor technology. The invention also relates to the use of a microwave module (6) based on semiconductor technology in a freeze-drying process.

Apparatus and methods of heating metallic containers in an oven which includes electric heating elements are provided. The electric heating elements include one or more of an electric induction element and an electric infrared heating element. The electric heating elements heat the metallic containers to a predetermined temperature to dry moisture on the metallic containers or to cure inks and coatings. Air within the oven may be at a temperature that is less than the predetermined temperature.

A method of drying a green ceramic honeycomb body (20) comprising: moving the body (20) through a drying system (50) comprising interconnected microwave devices (60), wherein each microwave device (D1, D2, D3) comprises an entrance (62a, 62b, 62c) located at an upstream end and an exit (64a, 64b, 64c) located at a downstream end of the microwave device (D1, D2, D3), the ends defining a downstream direction (72) and an upstream direction (74) in each of the devices (D1, D2, D3); removing moisture from the body (20) by irradiating the body (20) with microwave radiation within each of the devices (D1, D2, D3); and flowing air against the outer peripheral wall (22) of the body (20) while the body (20) is located in each of the microwave devices (D1, D2, D3). The flowing is conducted such that one or more of a supply flow and an exhaust flow of air is adjusted in at least one of the devices (D1, D2, D3) such that the air flow in the system is at a predetermined magnitude substantially in the upstream (74) or downstream direction (72).