On the heating of a two-dimensional slab in a microwave cavity: Aperture effects

Abstract

The steady-state heating of a two-dimensional slab by the TE\o mode in a microwave cavity is considered. The cavity contains an iris with a variable aperture and is closed by a short. Resonance can occur in the cavity, which is dependent on the short position, the aperture width and the temperature of the heated slab. The governing equations for the slab are steady-state versions of the forced heat equation and Maxwell's equations while fixed-temperature boundary conditions are used. An Arrhenius temperature dependency is assumed for both the electrical conductivity and the thermal absorptivity. Semi-analytical solutions, valid for small thermal absorptivity, are found for the steady-state t..