Dielectric heating using inductive coupling
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A method for heating or drying material by applying radio frequency (RF) power to said material in a resonant cavity;
- the improvement comprising inductive coupling an RF power source to said resonant cavity formed by distributed inductance in resonance with an applicator and said material by generating a magnetic field, said magnetic field inducing an RF voltage on said applicator thereby permitting feed line voltages delivering said RF power to said cavity to be lower than those that would normally be encountered for equivalent RF heating using direct coupling.
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Abstract
A method and apparatus for heating or drying material by applying radio frequency (RF) power to a material in a resonant cavity; wherein an RF power source is inductively coupled to a resonant cavity formed by distributed inductance in resonance with the applicator and material where the magnetic field established by the feed line(s) induces a voltage on the applicator permitting feed line voltages delivering said RF power to the cavity to be lower than those that would normally be encountered for equivalent RF heating using direct coupling.
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Citations
24 Claims
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1. A method for heating or drying material by applying radio frequency (RF) power to said material in a resonant cavity;
- the improvement comprising inductive coupling an RF power source to said resonant cavity formed by distributed inductance in resonance with an applicator and said material by generating a magnetic field, said magnetic field inducing an RF voltage on said applicator thereby permitting feed line voltages delivering said RF power to said cavity to be lower than those that would normally be encountered for equivalent RF heating using direct coupling.
- View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4)
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5. An apparatus for heating or drying material by applying radio frequency (RF) power to said material in a resonant cavity;
- the improvement comprising inductive coupling an RF power source to said resonant cavity, said resonant cavity being formed by a distributed inductance in resonance with the applicator and said material means for establishing a magnetic field that induces a RF voltage on the applicator thereby permitting feed line voltages delivering said RF power to said cavity to be lower than those that would normally be encountered for equivalent RF heating using direct coupling.
- View Dependent Claims (6, 7, 8)
- 9. A radio frequency heating system comprising a grounded conductive chamber, an applicator inside the chamber, means coupling said applicator to a source of radio frequency power, a distributed inductance means connecting said applicator to the adjacent sides of the chamber, and the resulting resonant cavity tuned to a specific radio frequency.
- 21. A flexible feed line for transmitting radio frequency power, said feed line comprising a plurality of wire bundles woven together to form a hollow cylindrical braid connector. having an outer surface, a solid area of more than 20% of the area of said surface being formed by said wires and an open area of less than 80% of said surface being by air, said air and wire areas being symmetrically uniformly positioned over said surface.
Specification