Optimal design of a multi-port continuous Microwave drying system

Microwave has a number of advantages in tea fixing, such as fast heating, short fixing times and low contamination. In the fixation process, it is crucial to improve the uniformity of heating and energy utilisation. In this study, a continuous microwave drying system was designed for the fixation of mulberry leaf tea. To reduce port mutual coupling, the electromagnetic wave directions of six microwave ports were non-uniformly polarised. The effects of feed position, material thickness and conveyor speed on heating uniformity were studied by multi-physics calculations. The results show that the uniformity of continuous microwave heating can be effectively improved by optimising the feed position, material thickness and conveyor belt speed.