Microwave heating of ceramic laminates (Q1384293)

This paper deals with the thermo-electrical, one-dimensional analysis of a three-thin isotropic ceramic plane laminate irradiated by microwaves from both sides. In the analysis, the incident electromagnetic wave and the electric field within the ceramic laminate are taken to be time-harmonic, while the temperature distribution is time-dependent, and the time required for heat to diffuse an electromagnetic wavelength is much greater than the period of a microwave. The one-dimensional governing equations are expressed in terms of dimensionless variables and parameters for the thermal field and the electric field within the ceramic laminate. Next, the field quantities are represented by the conventional asymptotic expansions in a small parameter, and the system of reduced governing equations is established. The authors investigate the steady-state solutions of the zeroth order governing equations, including their linear stability and global behavior. Two physically distinct cases, a low-loss ceramic surrounded by lossy material and a lossy material surrounded by a low-loss material, are studied in detail.