High frequency heating device is provided with heater disposed adjacent to mount base on which object to be heated is mounted and having a plurality of surface wave transmission lines electrically isolated from each other, and first and second high frequency power generators, each of which generates high frequency power having different frequency. Surface wave transmission lines receive at least one of the high frequency power generated by first high frequency power generator and the high frequency power generated by second high frequency power generator. According to this aspect, interference between the high frequency powers is not occurred and electromagnetic field coupling is not occurred. As a result, in the high frequency heating device provided with the surface wave transmission line using a periodic structure, uneven baking caused by the electromagnetic field coupling can be suppressed, and a heating state of an object to be heated can be easily controlled.

In certain examples, a food processing machine for processing a food product includes a housing defining a cavity, a conveyor with a belt comprising metal for conveying the food product through the cavity in a longitudinal direction, and a convection heating system for heating air in the cavity such that heated air heats the food product as the food product is conveyed through the cavity. A microwave launch box system is configured to emit microwave energy into the cavity in a lateral direction transverse to the longitudinal direction to thereby further heat the food product as the food product is conveyed through the cavity.

Systems and methods for drying skinned ceramic wares (10) using recycled microwave radiation are disclosed. The method includes irradiating wet skinned ceramic wares (10W) in a first applicator section (124W) with microwave radiation (212), wherein said irradiating (212) gives rise to reflected microwave radiation (212R). The method also includes capturing a portion of the reflected microwave radiation (212R) and irradiating a plurality of semi-dry skinned ceramic wares (105) in a second applicator section (124S) with the reflected microwave radiation (212R). Systems for carrying out the method are also disclosed.

The invention relates to a method and apparatus for determining a size information of food ingredients. The method comprises a step of applying (110) to the food ingredients an electrical field having a given radio frequency, the electrical field being generated by a source positioned in close proximity to the food ingredients, a first step of measuring (120) a ratio between the energy of the electrical field reflected from the food ingredients, and the energy of the electrical field generated by said source and applied to the food ingredients. The method also comprises a first step of determining (130), based on said ratio, an average thickness of the food ingredients along the direction of the electrical field applied to the food ingredients. The method also comprises a second step of measuring (140), for a plurality of distances between the source of the electrical field and the food ingredients, the ratio (R2) between the energy of the electrical field reflected from the food ingredients, and the energy of the electrical field applied to the food ingredients. The method further comprises a step of identifying (150) a relatively sudden change in the amplitude of the ratios measured by said second step of measuring (140) and a step of deriving (160) the corresponding distance between the source of the electrical field and the food ingredients for which said relatively sudden change occurred. The method also comprises a second step of determining (170), based on said corresponding distance and the divergent angle of the electrical field irradiating at said corresponding distance, an average diameter of the food ingredients in a plane perpendicular to the direction of the electrical field applied to the food ingredients. This invention results in a more convenient, robust and accurate way to determine the average thickness of the food ingredients.

The modular microwave ablation system of the present disclosure includes a microwave instrument, a microwave generator, and one or more auxiliary modules that include circuitry for performing functions related to the operation of the microwave generator. The one or more auxiliary modules are removably connected to the microwave generator. The microwave generator includes a microwave signal generator that generates a microwave signal; a microwave generator controller in communication with the microwave signal generator; one or more terminals that connect to the one or more auxiliary modules, respectively; and a power supply and/or a power distribution module coupled to the microwave signal generator, the microwave generator controller, and the one or more terminals. The one or more terminals provide (1) power from the power supply and/or power distribution module to the one or more respective auxiliary modules and (2) communication signals to and from the one or more respective auxiliary modules.

The modular microwave ablation system of the present disclosure includes a microwave instrument, a microwave generator, and one or more auxiliary modules that include circuitry for performing functions related to the operation of the microwave generator. The one or more auxiliary modules are removably connected to the microwave generator. The microwave generator includes a microwave signal generator that generates a microwave signal; a microwave generator controller in communication with the microwave signal generator; one or more terminals that connect to the one or more auxiliary modules, respectively; and a power supply and/or a power distribution module coupled to the microwave signal generator, the microwave generator controller, and the one or more terminals. The one or more terminals provide (1) power from the power supply and/or power distribution module to the one or more respective auxiliary modules and (2) communication signals to and from the one or more respective auxiliary modules.

Systems and methods include a cooking appliance comprising a heating element disposed within a cooking chamber and operable to selectively emit waves at any of a plurality of powers and/or peak wavelengths, a camera operable to capture an image of the cooking chamber, and a computing device operable to supply power to the heating element to vary the power and/or peak wavelength of the emitted waves and generate heat within the cooking chamber, and instruct the camera to capture the image when the heating element is emitting at a stabilized power and/or peak wavelength. The computing device is operable to generate an adjusted captured image by adjusting the captured image with respect to the stabilized power and/or peak wavelength. The computing device comprises feedback components operable to receive the adjusted captured image, extract features, and analyze the one or more features to determine an event, property, measurement and/or status.

An apparatus for applying RF energy to process an object may include at least one controller configured to receive EM feedback-related values from an energy application zone, each of the values being associated with a respective MSE. The controller may also be configured to identify a change in one or more of the EM feedback-related values within a period of time; adjust the RF energy application based on the change in the EM feedback-related values identified, and cause application of RF energy to the energy application zone.

An apparatus for applying a field of microwave energy for the processing of an absorbent article is disclosed. The apparatus comprises an elongate chamber having a longitudinal axis and first and second circularly polarized microwave radiation transmitting device radiatingly coupled to the elongate chamber and oriented so that the microwave energy is transmitted from the first and second circularly polarized microwave radiation transmitting devices is directed toward the longitudinal axis. The elongate chamber has a surface distributed about the longitudinal axis, a proximal end providing ingress for the absorbent article into the elongate chamber, and a distal end providing egress of the absorbent article from the elongate chamber. The second circularly polarized microwave radiation transmitting device is coupled to the elongate chamber at a position relative to the longitudinal axis that ranges from about 30 degrees to about 150 degrees relative to the position of the first circularly polarized microwave radiation transmitting device.

This disclosure relates to a microwave heating device and a method for operating a microwave heating device, in particular to heat at least one product inside a heating chamber of the device. The microwave heating device comprises at least two radiating portions that are adapted to radiate microwaves to the heating chamber and can be operated according to a plurality of operational configurations that differ in frequency and/or in phase shift(s) between the radiated microwaves. A learning procedure can be executed by sequentially operating the at least two radiating portions in several operational configurations. Energy efficiency data are calculated for those operational configurations. An operating frequency can be selected via an algorithm that optimizes a mathematical function based on energy efficiency data. An operational configuration with a maximum energy efficiency at the selected operating frequency may be taken as a reference. A heating procedure can be executed by sequentially operating the at least two radiating portions in operational configurations having the selected operating frequency and respective phase shift(s) that are chosen around the respective phase shift(s) of the reference operational configuration.