Commercial scale microwave heating system

摘要

A microwave heating system for continuously heating a plurality of articles and process for using the same are provided. The microwave system includes a thermalization zone for thermalizing the articles to a substantially uniform temperature, a microwave heating zone for increasing the temperature of the articles by at least about 50° C., and a quench zone for cooling the articles after heating. The heating can be carried out at a rate of at least 25° C. per minute. The system also includes at least one conveyance system for transporting the articles through each of the thermalization, microwave heating, and quench zones. The system can be commercial-sized and may have an overall production rate of at least 20 packages per minute per convey line.

主权项

1. A continuous process for heating a plurality of articles in a microwave heating system, said process comprising:
(a) securing said plurality of articles in a plurality of individual carriers; (b) thermalizing said articles in said carriers in a thermalization zone to thereby provide a plurality of thermalized articles having a substantially uniform temperature; (c) before or after said thermalizing of step (b), passing said plurality of articles in said carriers through a pressure adjustment zone in a discontinuous fashion to increase the pressure around said articles to an elevated pressure that is at least 5 psig; (d) heating said thermalized articles in said carriers in a microwave heating zone maintained at or above said elevated pressure to thereby increase the average temperature of each article by at least 50° C., wherein at least a portion of said heating is carried out at a heating rate of at least 25° C. per minute, wherein said articles are submerged in a liquid medium during said heating of step (d); and (e) cooling the heated articles in said carriers in a quench zone, wherein said articles are passed through each of said thermalization zone, said microwave heating zone, and said quench zone via one or more conveyance systems, wherein said microwave heating system has an overall production rate of at least 20 packages per minute per convey line.