An integrated numerical and analytical model to understand the effect of relative phase in a dual-port solid-state microwave heating process

The utilization of multi-port solid-state microwave heating systems presents promise in improving heating performance but lacks a deep understanding of the effect of source phase difference. This study developed an integrated numerical and analytical approach that allows efficient modeling and a better understanding of multi-mode wave interactions with source phase differences. First, two numerical models simulated the complex electric fields of individual-port microwave heating processes. The simulated nodal electric fields were used as inputs in the analytical model to predict the resultant power dissipation for dual-port heating with arbitrary source phase differences. The integrated approach was validated by comparing the predicted nodal electric field and power densities with numerical modeling results. The phase-dependent nodal and volumetric average power revealed wave-like patterns with great variances. The constructive, destructive, and interference effects were influenced by the source phase differences, emphasizing the importance of proper control of source phases for efficient and uniform heating.