First quantitative microwave calorimeter (Energy, 2023)
We are happy to share our new research describing a novel application of microwave technology in the field of material analysis, “Microwave calorimeter for dielectric and thermal analysis of materials,” published in January 2023 in Energy (Elsevier).
Our article presents a unique method for microwave processing and measurement of dielectric and thermal properties of materials as a function of temperature.
The increasing energy demand has brought the advent of new materials with advanced properties, including the materials that generate, store and transport energy, along with new processing techniques (microwaves, solar energy, etc.). This type of material requires the development of new testing instruments and measurement methods capable of highlighting their unique properties and potential to store energy.
The MW-DETA (Microwave Dielectric and Thermal Analysis) consists of a dual-mode cylindrical cavity where one electromagnetic mode is designed to heat a sample of the material with high-power microwaves, and the other mode is used to measure dielectric properties as a function of the temperature simultaneously.
The in-situ measurement of dielectric properties of the sample with temperature, together with the precise numerical modelling of the thermal process, provided the necessary information to quantify the thermal and microwave losses and, therefore, the accurate amount of power delivered to the sample that is converted into heat, which allows the calculation of the energy requirements for electrifying materials processing through microwave heating.
Its design and functionality represent a significant advancement in material thermal analysis, offering a powerful tool for both research and industrial applications.
