Method and apparatus for industrial microwave (MW)-assisted thermal sterilization and pasteurization using solid-state MW generators. One or more phased array generators heat packaged foods or liquids conveyed in transport carriers through a processing liquid providing supplemental temperature control and hydrostatic pressure. Generator output signals are computer controlled, allowing phase and power-ratio modulation to both adjust interference patterns within heating cavities and shift focus of heating energy.

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.

A device for producing exfoliated graphite from graphite flakes, intercalated graphite, or expanded graphite by means of microwave heating using single mode microwave cavities, a method of producing such materials and products from such methods.

The present application firstly discloses a cooking system comprising two cooking apparatuses, each capable of producing a cooked food from food or food ingredient(s). The first cooking apparatus comprises a plurality of microwave ovens which can be moved by an intermittent motion mechanism or a transport system. The second cooking apparatus comprises a cookware and a motion mechanism to move the cookware to dispense a cooked food to a food container. A semi-cooked food is produced by a microwave oven of the first cooking apparatus and is used as an ingredient in the second cooking apparatus to produce cooked food.

The present invention provides a microwave processing apparatus, including: a cavity resonator having a cavity that forms a standing wave of a microwave; and a dielectric portion disposed occupying at least one-fifth of a volume of the cavity, in the cavity, in which an object to be processed being at through at least one end side of the cavity resonator is disposed in the cavity resonator, and the object to be processed is processed by the standing wave.

Systems and processes for use in heating articles include passing a carrier loaded with an article through a vessel inlet and into a first vessel portion and moving the loaded carrier in a first direction through the first vessel portion away from the inlet. During at least a portion of the movement through the first vessel portion, the article is contacted with a first fluid medium. The loaded carrier is moved carrier in a second direction opposite the first direction through a second vessel portion toward a vessel outlet. During at least a portion of the movement through the second vessel portion, the articles is contacted with a second fluid medium. In certain implementations, each of the first direction and the second direction are vertical.

A microwave heat converter includes a cylindrical waveguide cavity, a non-conductive conduit, and a microwave waveguide. The non-conductive conduit is arranged to carry liquid flowing through a central area of the cylindrical waveguide cavity. The microwave waveguide is configured to deliver microwave power along the cylindrical waveguide cavity in a TE(1,1) mode to heat the liquid. The heat converter may be used in various systems such as heaters, combi boilers, and absorption refrigeration systems.

An exemplary method for protecting a microwave magnetron is disclosed provided by the steps of positioning one or more containers on a conveyer belt which passes through the microwave oven, where each container is holding a liquid. Exemplary embodiments also provide the steps of ramping up the magnetron while a container is passing through the microwave oven, positioning product for microwaving on the conveyer belt, and applying microwave energy to the product. A system for protecting a magnetron is also disclosed having a plurality of containers, each container holding a liquid and positioned atop the conveyer belt before placing a product for microwaving on the conveyer.

A chemical reaction method includes preparing a chemical reaction apparatus including a horizontal flow reactor partitioned into multiple chambers by multiple partition plates. A liquid content horizontally flows with an unfilled space provided thereabove. a microwave generator and a waveguide that transmits microwaves to the unfilled space are also included. The reactor is inclined such that, in each of the chambers, a weir height on an inlet side is higher than a weir height on an outlet side by at least an overflow depth at the partition plate on the outlet side. The content is flowed over each of the multiple partition plates inside the reactor. The content flowing inside the reactor is irradiated with microwaves. The inclination angle of the reactor is changed in each of the chambers so that a weir height on an inlet side is higher than a weir height on an outlet side.

A microwave reactor having a flow tube, transparent to microwave, extending longitudinally along a flow axis for a fluid medium flow; an input waveguide extending along a propagation axis orthogonal to the flow axis, having a rectangular cross-section with two large sides parallel to the flow axis and two small sides orthogonal to the flow axis; and an enclosure inside which the flow tube extends, made of a material reflective to microwaves, having a lateral dimension greater than the small dimension of the small sides of the input waveguide. The input waveguide is transversely fixed on the enclosure which has an input window surrounded by the input waveguide for propagation of microwaves through the input window to the inside of the enclosure.