THE INFLUENCE OF POLARIZATION ON THE MICROWAVE DRYING PROCESS OF SHELLED CORN

ABSTRACT

In this paper the effect of electromagnetic polarization of the microwave field on drying of shelled corn was analyzed. The drying process was investigated in a microwave field of 2.45 GHz. A number of corn kernels with the same orientation were stocked on plastic plates and these plates with corn kernels on their surfaces were fixed to each other, creating the corn matrixes. Plastic plates and glue used to the experiments were inert, related to the applied microwave power. By rotating test materials the influence of different polarization angles of electromagnetic field could be registered. Furthermore, setting test material in different positions the effect of distance between the antenna and the corn matrix were observed

The experiments carried out showed that in moist crops placed in microwave field ion polarization is dominant and the drying rate depends on relationship between the electric field strength vector and the overall moisture gradient in the kernel.