Breakthrough in Microwave Processing Heat Uniformity

The invention patent of “Mushroom microwave vacuum drying process” and one of the holders of utility model patents “Adjusting field intensity distribution device in microwave heaters”, Zhu Shuming, senior engineer of the research team of Kunming Spectrum Sensing and Radio Monitoring Key Laboratory, etc. After years of painstaking research and nearly 3,000 tests, it successfully broke through the problem of microwave homogeneity in the treatment of liquids and successfully developed a 800-watt laboratory technology prototype for related equipment.

It is understood that this equipment is 2°C smaller than the world-accepted steam furnace with the best thermal uniformity (with a uniform temperature difference of 5°C) and can be used for raw milk, alcohol, beverage water, and ice-making water. Sterilization of medical distilled water can replace the traditional aging (alcoholization) process of alcoholic beverages. According to Zhu Shuguang's introduction, taking the microwave heat treatment at 79-80°C as an example, the experiment of sterilizing raw milk was conducted by the research team and Kunming Milk Co., Ltd., that is, the samples were taken from a third-party milk company, the laboratory equipment was sterilized and then sent to Third-party milk company quality inspection department inspection, the results show that the total number of colonies per ml is less than 270, far below the GB4789.2-2010 limit standard; E. coli less than 1 per ml, in full compliance with the GB4789.3-2010 standard; The fat, protein, and non-fat milk solids content were basically the same as those before treatment. Calculated by a professional department of a Kunming Milk Co., Ltd., the use of the equipment for the disinfection of raw milk, compared to its pasteurization cost savings of 40.86% per ton. Zhu Shuguang said that by inferring the physicochemical properties of certain substances in liquor, the device can finish the traditional thermal aging (also called alcoholization) process for about 20 years by microwave heat treatment of white wine for a few minutes. For example, aldehydes and ketones that are not allowed to be added by acrolein and other two white wines in the liquor can theoretically be quickly removed during this process, and conventional processes may not be completely removed in 20 years. At the same time, with the laboratory 800-watt equipment inference: 5000 watts of equipment to deal with low-end liquor more than 78 kilograms per hour, an average of 1 kilogram of electricity consumption of 0.18 degrees, compared with the general aging (also known as alcohol) process cost savings are even more impressive.

It was also learned that in addition to adjusting the microwave soaking equipment, the laboratory also successfully developed equipment for use in the fields of medicinal herbs, pharmaceutical concentrates, and tobacco leaf redrying—vacuum and non-vacuum drying equipment. At present, the technical feasibility indicators of the two types of equipment have matured through technical prototype testing and are seeking further market joint production and development. (Author: Dong Cheng Yangting Hui)