Abstract: The present application encompasses methods and apparatus for heating a load such as clothes immersed in a medium such as water during a heating period. A method embodiment of the present invention comprises heating the load and medium within an enclosure by subjecting said load and medium to heated air originated from a conventional energy source; and applying heat to said load and medium within the enclosure via an AC electrical field, embodied as a capacitor, originated from an RF power source.

Abstract: Apparatuses, systems, and methods for heating a fluid or other material. The apparatuses may include a container (e.g., tube) in which a susceptor material is disposed. The susceptor material may convert microwave energy to heat, which may increase the temperature of a fluid or material in or adjacent the tube.

Abstract: A tool for reforming a core pattern. A method of reforming a core pattern comprises opening a core reformer tool. The core reformer tool has a first portion and a second portion facing the first portion. The first portion includes a concave member and a first adjustable pin. The second portion includes a convex member and a second adjustable pin. The method includes positioning the core pattern in the core reformer tool and closing the core reformer tool. The method comprises adjusting at least one of the first adjustable pin and the second adjustable pin to alter a surface of the core pattern. The method includes directing cooling air through the core reformer tool to solidify the core pattern and opening the core reformer tool to remove the core pattern.

Abstract: An RF laundry dryer includes, amongst other things, an RF generator, an RF applicator having a perforated body supporting anode and cathode elements, a fan arranged relative to the perforated body to flow or draw air through the perforated body and an electromagnetic shield protecting the fan from the e-field. Both anode and cathode elements are operably coupled to the RF generator to generate an e-field between the anode and cathode upon the energizing of the RF generator.

Abstract: A method for drying an article with a radio frequency (RF) applicator having anode elements and cathode elements includes capacitively coupling the anode elements, capacitively coupling the cathode elements, capactively coupling an anode element to a cathode element, and energizing the RF applicator to generate an RF field between anode and cathode elements wherein liquid residing within the field will be dielectrically heated.

Abstract: Honeycomb extrudate is made by extruding a plasticized ceramic-forming batch material to form a length of wet honeycomb extrudate, transferring the extrudate to a support tray, and transferring the tray and extrudate to a dryer, the tray being capable of contactingly supporting greater than one-third of the circumferential surface of the wet extrudate. The extrudate is subject to reduced handling damage, e.g. from forces of gravitational and/or lateral acceleration arising during transfer.

Abstract: An oven may include a radio frequency (RF) source, a cooking chamber into which RF energy is providable via the RF source, and a door that is configured to hingedly operate to alternately allow access to the cooking chamber and close the cooking chamber for cooking The door may include a choke assembly disposed to seal a region between the door and a cooking chamber from RF leakage responsive to closure of the door. The choke assembly may include a plurality of tuned chokes, each of which is configured to shield relative to a different predefined frequency.

Abstract: A dielectric heating system which is provided with a high frequency oscillator, a housing which forms part of a waveguide and is provided with a loading opening and unloading opening, first and second conductive closing members which respectively close the loading opening and the unloading opening from the inner side of the housing, and a first position holding member which holds the object to be heated inside the housing, which makes the first conductive closing member slide to open the loading opening and charges the object to be heated into the housing, and which makes the second conductive closing member slide to open the unloading opening and unload the object to outside the housing.

Abstract: A method for RF dielectric heating an object having a variable weight including a medium is provided The method comprises: (A) placing the object having the variable weight including the medium into an enclosure; (B) adding an ionic substance to the medium; (C) initiating a heating process by subjecting the medium including the object to a variable AC electrical field; and (D) controlling the heating process. The method further comprises using an air flow having an ambient temperature, or being heated before getting into the enclosure, to carry away the evaporated medium from the enclosure.

Abstract: This invention is about a method and a device for equalizing warming processes in dielectric loads using electric/electromagnetic fields at frequencies below 900 MHz. Characteristic for the invention is that the load is surrounded by a field equalizing material and that the load and the electric/electromagnetic field is moved relative to each other.

Abstract: A loose mixture formed of one or more solid inert materials and a hardenable resin dissolved in an organic solvent, in particular the remainder of the initial mix used for the manufacture of conglomerate stone sheets, is rendered inert by means of dielectric heating at a frequency of less than 300 MHz. A plant for implements a method where a loose mixture is formed of one or more solid inert materials and a hardenable resin dissolved in an organic solvent, in particular the remainder of the initial mix used for the manufacture of conglomerate stone sheets, is rendered inert by means of dielectric heating at a frequency of less than 300 MHz.

Abstract: An apparatus for heat treating manufactured components using microwave energy and microwave susceptor material. Heat treating medium such as eutectic salts may be employed. A fluidized bed introduces process gases which may include carburizing or nitriding gases. The process may be operated in a batch mode or continuous process mode. A microwave heating probe may be used to restart a frozen eutectic salt bath.

Abstract: A method of processing medical waste which includes the steps of continuously feeding medical waste into a tube and heating the medical waste passing through the tube with electromagnetic radiation so as to heat and disinfect the medical waste.

Abstract: A dielectric heating or drying system incorporating an electrode structure, which is provided with wings that projects toward the opposite electrode along each side of a planar central portion of the electrode and function to improve electric field uniformity through the load being dried.

Abstract: A ceramic susceptor with an embedded metal electrode. The metal electrode has multiple apertures, and the ceramic material is cross-linked through the apertures. An electrical connection to the electrode protects the electrode from the environment in the processing chamber. The ceramic may be aluminum nitride, and the metal electrode may be a mesh of molybdenum wires. To form the electrical connection, the susceptor may be heated until an eutectic forms between a conductive connector and the metal electrode. Alternately, a brazing material may be placed between the metal layer and a conductive connector.

Abstract: Infectious medical materials is rendered innocuous by heating heterogeneous medical materials having wet and dry portions with a radio frequency electric field. The medical materials are exposed to the radio frequency electric field in order to heat the medical waste. The medical waste may include sorted medical or veterinary waste which after heat treatment may be shredded and recycled.

Abstract: The present invention features a process and apparatus for drying ceramic structures in an electromagnetic energy field. The apparatus comprises a cradle or setter for supporting the ceramic structure which is made of a light-weight, tough, temperature-resistant material which does not absorb energy in the radio frequency range, for example, fiberglass reinforced polyester. The setter is also characterized by many apertures to allow passage of air or moisture, and is designed to avoid trapped air volumes.

Abstract: The invention relates to an apparatus for the generation of smoothness in paper. The paper (1) is thereby supplied to the rolls (2) of the smoothing mechanism with a moisture distribution which is characterized in that the moisture content in the inner layers of the paper is substantially smaller or at least as large as in the outer layers. This can be achieved with the aid of a dielectric paper web heating device (3) which is positioned in front of the rolls (2) of the smoothing mechanism. Through the invention less energy is to be required for the same smoothness values and a lower reduction in volume is to take place.

Abstract: A method for making a photographic composition gel ready for use in production from a good preservative frozen state, causing no change in photographic properties, wherein a photographic composition gel is melted to a sol by placing a light shielding dielectric preservative container holding lumps of a photographic composition gel in a dielectric heating apparatus which generates high frequencies capable of penetrating to a depth corresponding to the size of the above photographic composition gel lumps, and melting the photographic composition gel to a sol by irradiating the lumps of gel with the above high frequencies from the outside of the container.