Preliminary test of a newly developed pilot-scale movable microwave drying equipment for the treatment of solid organic waste

Abstract

This study introduces a developed, movable, and pilot-scale microwave drying equipment with an automatic control system for the treatment of solid organic waste. Based on a previous study, the structure of the reactor and the arrangement of the magnetron were improved to make the material absorb microwave energy more uniformly and efficiently. The equipment added the auxiliary hot plate and air extraction system, which effectively solved the influence of the occurrence condensate water in the microwave irradiation room on the drying efficiency and energy consumption. The microwave drying behavior of the existing constant-power mode was compared with the improved constant-temperature mode. The experimental results showed that the latter mode could effectively solve the partial overheating of the material caused by uneven heating. The constant-temperature mode was more advantageous in product quality, safety, and selectivity. The advantages and disadvantages of the equipment were analyzed by comparing it with the other existing pilot-scale microwave drying equipment. The proposed system showed good performance. Thus, the newly developed mobile microwave drying system has great potential for practical application.