Martin Marietta Energy Systems, Inc.

Avco Corporation

The United States of America As Represented by the United States

The United States of America As Represented by the Department of Energy

University of Miami

Hormel Foods Corporation

Harold D Kimrey, Jr

Cressie E Holcombe

Norman L Dykes

Richard C Krutenat

William B Snyder, Jr

Azorides Morales

Mark A Janney

Harold Essenfeld

Ervin Essenfeld

Alois F Sferrazza

John William Summerfield

Daniel J Hoffman

Jerry Earl Cannon

James E Mills

Mattison K Ferber

J Aubrey Beck, Jr

Robert D Petersen

A method of stunning an animal for slaughter is provided. The method includes directing a first portion of electromagnetic radiation in a first side of the animals head and directing a second portion of the electromagnetic radiation in a second side of the animals head such that the first portion and second portion of the electromagnetic radiation achieve constructive interfere at a focal point within the animal's head.

Apparatus and method using electromagnetic radiation for stunning animals to be slaughtered

An improved microwave unit and tissue processor system incorporating the unit are provided for use in rapid tissue processing. The microwave unit may be comprised of an energy source, a waveguide transmitting the microwave energy to a reaction chamber, and the reaction chamber being adapted to process tissue specimens for histology. The unit provides gentle and uniform heating, with minimal heat loss and escape of volatile chemicals. The system may be operated continuously and/or batchwise, by manual operation or automatically. The automated system may be operated with continuous throughput to obtain the advantages of the invention such as, for example, rapid processing under two hours and/or preservation of cell structure and tissue architecture.

Rapid tissue processor

A rectangular microwave applicator for processing waste material. The rectangular microwave applicator generally includes an upper cavity and a waste container. The upper cavity defines side walls and a ceiling, the bottom of the upper cavity is open. A screwfeeder tube is positioned on and extends through one of the side walls, and a vent is positioned on and extends through another of the side walls. The waste container is rectangular in configuration and is receivable in the bottom of the upper cavity. The waste container holds waste material which is introduced therein via the screwfeeder tube. A microwave choke is carried across the bottom of the upper cavity and is configured to permit the entrance of the waste container in the bottom of the upper cavity. A microwave energy input is at each corner on top of the ceiling of upper cavity and extends therethrough. Each of the corner microwave energy inputs delivers microwave energy to waste material in the corners of the waste container and is configured to transform a rectangular waveguide to a circular waveguide to maintain microwave energy in the corners of the waste container for effective heating of the waste material.

Rectangular microwave applicator and waste treatment method

Apparatus for heating a fiber using microwave energy. The apparatus has a source of microwave energy feeding and applicator. The applicator is configured to concentrate the microwave energy on a chamber holding a fiber. Fibers made or coated using chemical vapor deposition in the apparatus are also disclosed.

Microwave fiber coating apparatus

A method of sintering ceramic materials following: A compacted article comprising inorganic particles coated with carbon is provided, the carbon providing improved microwave coupling. The compacted article is then heated by microwave radiation to a temperature and for a period of time sufficient to sinter the compacted article.

Method of sintering materials with microwave radiation

Radio frequency energy is used to sinter ceramic materials. A coaxial waveguide resonator produces a TEM mode wave which generates a high field capacitive region in which a sample of the ceramic material is located. Frequency of the power source is kept in the range of radio frequency, and preferably between 60-80 MHz. An alternative embodiment provides a tunable radio frequency circuit which includes a series input capacitor and a parallel capacitor, with the sintered ceramic connected by an inductive lead. This arrangement permits matching of impedance over a wide range of dielectric constants, ceramic volumes, and loss tangents.

Method and apparatus for radio frequency ceramic sintering

An apparatus for measuring and monitoring a change in the dimension of a sample being heated by microwave energy is described. The apparatus comprises a microwave heating device for heating a sample by microwave energy, a microwave compatible dilatometer for measuring and monitoring a change in the dimension of the sample being heated by microwave energy without leaking microwaves out of the microwave heating device, and a temperature determination device for measuring and monitoring the temperature of the sample being heated by microwave energy.

Microwave furnace having microwave compatible dilatometer

A microwave sintering system and method are provided for extremely uniform sintering of large and/or irregular shaped ceramic articles at microwave frequencies of at least 28 GHz in the hundreds of kilowatts power range in an untuned cavity. A 28 GHz, 200 kw gyrotron with variable power output is used as the microwave source connected to an untuned microwave cavity formed of an electrically conductive housing through an overmoded waveguide arrangement which acts in conjunction with a mode promoter within the cavity to achieve unexpected field uniformity. The part to be sintered is placed in the cavity and supported on a removable high temperature table in a central location within the cavity. The part is surrounded by a microwave transparent bulk insulating material to reduce thermal heat loss at the part surfaces and maintain more uniform temperature. The cavity may be operated at a high vacuum to aid in preventing arcing. The system allows controlled increased heating rates of greater than 200.degree. C./min to provide rapid heating of a ceramic part to a selected sintering temperature where it is maintained by regulating the microwave power applied to the part. As a result of rapid heating, the extent of non-isothermal processes such as segregation of impurities to the grain boundaries are minimized and exaggerated grain growth is reduced, thereby strengthening the mechanical properties of the ceramic part being sintered.

Method and device for microwave sintering large ceramic articles

The efficiency of a microwave oven of a conventional two-source configuration and energy level is increased by providing the oven with a container for housing a refractory material to be treated. The container is formed of top and bottom walls transparent to microwaves while the sidewalls, in a circular configuration, are formed of a nonmetallic material opaque to microwave radiation reflecting the radiation penetrating the top and bottom walls radially inwardly into the center of the container wherein a casket of heat-insulating material is provided for housing the material to be heat treated. The reflection of the microwave radiation from the sidewalls increases the concentration of the microwaves upon the material being heat treated while the casket retains the heat to permit the heating of the material to a substantially higher temperature than achieveable in the oven without the container.

Growing community of inventors

Knoxville, TN, United States of America

Harold D Kimrey, Jr