Microwave Heating and Joining of Ceramic Cylinders: A Mathematical Model
Abstract
A thin cylindrical ceramic sample is placed in a single mode microwave applicator in such a way that the electric field strength is allowed to vary along its axis. The sample can either be a single rod or two rods butted together. We present a simple mathematical model which describes the microwave heating process. It is built on the assumption that the Biot number of the material is small, and that the electric field is known and uniform throughout the cylinder's cross-section. The model takes the form of a non-linear parabolic equation of reaction-diffusion type, with a spatially varying reaction term that corresponds to the spatial variation of the electromagnetic field strength in the waveguide. The equation is analyzed and a solution is found which develops a hot spot near the center of the cylindrical sample and which then propagates outwards until it stabilizes. The propagation and stabilization phenomenon concentrates the microwave energy in a localized region about the center where elevated temperatures may be desirable.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Jul 01, 1994
- Accession Number
- ADA284946
Entities
People
- Gregory A. Kriegsmann
- Michael R. Booty