Simulator predicts microwave heating effects

Edited by the Engineeringtalk editorial team Nov 17, 2004

Concerto version 3.5 from leading software simulation house Vector Fields of Oxford, contains a new module for the analysis of heating effects by microwaves.

Concerto version 3.5 from leading software simulation house Vector Fields of Oxford, contains a new module for the analysis of heating effects by microwaves.

The software computes the temperature rise in materials due to the power losses based on the material properties such as permittivity, conductivity etc.

As these parameters are temperature dependant, they are updated and the analysis is restarted, as the temperature rises.

This interactive procedure allows effects such as defrosting food in a microwave oven to be modelled.

Illustrations show the heating of frozen food initially at -20C after 10 seconds and a further 80 seconds.

With the high degree of correlation between predicted and actual results, designs which provide even heating and economic efficiency will be feasible without lengthy and expensive "build and test" trials.