Development and justification of parameters of a microwave convective hop dryer

Abstract

To solve the problem of low energy efficiency and the absence of small-sized hop dryers, a microwave convective continuous-flow hop dryer has been developed with reasonable parameters that allow preserving the consumer properties of hops. The scientific innovative idea of implementing the technology of drying hops in the working chamber of a microwave hop dryer, made in the form of tiered rotors located between stationary nonferromagnetic bases, forming coaxial resonators in which a traveling wave from microwave generators is excited, is considered. The rotors are made in the form of perforated non-ferromagnetic outer and inner shells, where ceramic perforated partitions are rigidly installed in the annular space, allowing to concentrate radiation energy in raw materials and reduce radiation losses. Having calculated the dimensions of the coaxial resonator, having created its three-dimensional model in the Compass 20 program, we imported it into the CST Microwave Studio program to substantiate the electrodynamic parameters. A hop dryer with a capacity of 5 kW microwave generators with spiral decelerating systems will ensure uniform drying of hops in compliance with electromagnetic safety, with a capacity of 100 kg/h when the rotor is located without microwave energy sources between two coaxial resonators to comply with a process duty cycle of 0.5.