Microwave power applicator

Claim 1

Apparatus for applying microwave power to a workpiece comprising a first hollow tube having an inlet end and an outlet end, said first tube being adapted to receive through said inlet end a workpiece to which microwave power is to be applied, said workpiece passing through said first tube where microwave power is applied thereto and exiting through said outlet end; first and second hollow waveguide sections located on opposite sides of said first tube and communicating with said first tube to introduce microwaves into said first tube; and means for supplying microwaves to said first and second sections to the propagated through said first and second sections for introduction into said first tube; the frequency of said microwaves, the width of said first tube measured between said first and second sections and the angles of inclination of said first and second sections with respect to said first tube being chosen such that the peak amplitudes of reflection standing waves created by introduction of microwaves into said first tube via said first and second sections respectively are interleaved, thereby substantially uniformly distributing hot spots created by said standing waves across the width of said first tube.