Finite-difference time-domain simulation of microwave sintering in a variable-frequency multimode cavity

Conference · Tue Dec 31 04:00:00 EST 1996

OSTI ID:504888

White, M J; Dillon, S F; Iskander, M G ^[1]; Kimrey, H D ^[2]

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1. Univ. of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT (United States). Electrical Engineering Dept.
2. Oak Ridge National Lab., TN (United States)

There have been recent indications that variable-frequency microwave sintering of ceramics provides several advantages over single-frequency sintering, including more uniform heating, particularly for larger samples. The Finite-Difference Time-Domain (FDTD) code at the University of Utah was modified and used to simulate microwave sintering using variable frequencies and was coupled with a heat-transfer code to provide a dynamic simulation of this new microwave sintering process. This paper summarizes results from the FDTD simulations of sintering in a variable-frequency cavity. FDTD simulations were run in 100-MHz steps to account for the frequency variation in the electromagnetic fields in the multimode cavity. It is shown that a variable-frequency system does improve the heating uniformity when the proper frequency range is chosen. Specifically, for a single ceramic sample (4 x 4 x 6 cm{sup 3}), and for a variable-frequency range from f = 2.5 GHz to f = 3.2 GHz, the temperature distribution pattern was much more uniform than the heating pattern achieved when using a single-frequency sintering system at f = 2.45 GHz.

• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE Assistant Secretary for Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, Washington, DC (United States)
• DOE Contract Number: AC05-84OR21400
• OSTI ID: 504888
• Report Number(s): CONF-960401--; ISBN 1-55899-333-9
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE
CERAMICS
FINITE DIFFERENCE METHOD
FREQUENCY CONTROL
HEAT TRANSFER
MICROWAVE HEATING
SIMULATION
SINTERING
TEMPERATURE DISTRIBUTION