Patent attributes
An apparatus and method for microwave vacuum-drying of organic materials such as food products. The dehydration apparatus (10) has a vacuum chamber (12) with a loading module (14) at one end and a discharge module (22) at the other. The vacuum chamber has access doors (80) spaced between the input end (16) and the discharge end (24) which provide operator and maintenance access. Microwave generators (86) are mounted on each access door and arranged to radiate through a microwave chamber and microwave-transparent window on the access door into the vacuum chamber. The waveguides on a respective access door are oriented to minimize microwave interference between the magnetrons on that door. A conveyor (60) in the vacuum chamber moves the organic material (96) on trays (18) through the vacuum chamber.
