Finite-difference time-domain simulation of microwave sintering in a variable-frequency multimode cavity
- Univ. of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT (United States). Electrical Engineering Dept.
- 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; TRN: IM9733%%303
- Resource Relation:
- Conference: Spring meeting of the Materials Research Society (MRS), San Francisco, CA (United States), 8-12 Apr 1996; Other Information: PBD: 1996; Related Information: Is Part Of Microwave processing of materials 5; Iskander, M.F. [ed.] [Univ. of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT (United States)]; Kiggans, J.O. Jr. [ed.] [Oak Ridge National Lab., TN (United States)]; Bolomey, J.C. [ed.] [Supelec, Gif-Sur-Yvette (France)]; PB: 681 p.; Materials Research Society symposium proceedings, Volume 430
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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