Non-Thermal Effects of Microwave Oven Heating on Ground Beef Meat Studied in the Mid-Infrared Region by Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy

The effects of cooking by microwave oven on the secondary structure of lipid and protein contents in bovine ground beef were investigated in the midinfrared region by Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy to highlight the nonthermal effects of microwave oven heating. Samples of bovine ground beef were cooked in a conventional electric oven at the temperature of 175°C for 15 min and in a microwave oven at 800 W for 1½ min. Spectra analyses of bovine meat after cooking in the conventional oven evidenced a relevant increase in intensity of the carbonyl band at 1742 cm^?1 and of the methylene group at 2921 and 2853 cm^?1 that can be attributed to the Maillard reaction. In contrast, the increase in intensity of these bands after microwave oven heating was less than that which occurred after conventional cooking, showing that the temperature in ground beef meat samples during microwave heating was less than that induced by conventional heating. Spectral analysis in the amide I, II, and III regions showed that a significant increase in intensity occurred in the region from 1660 to 1675 cm^?1 and around 1695, 1635, 1575, and 988 cm^?1 after cooking by means of a microwave oven. These features, which can be attributed to β-turns and β-sheet structures, are characteristic of disorder processes in meat protein contents and increasing transition dipole coupling due to higher contents in aggregated β-sheet structures. This result highlighted nonthermal effects of microwave oven heating in the protein's secondary structure.     

Microwave Plasmas at Atmospheric Pressure

Microwave plasmas at atmospheric pressure are used for surface treatments like for example cleaning, sterilization or decontamination purposes, for a pre‐treatment to increase the adhesion of lacquer, paint, or glue, and for the deposition of different kind of layers and coatings. Micro plasma jets can also be applied for biomedical applications and for treatment of small and complex geometries like for example the inside of capillaries. Larger plasma torches which exhibit higher gas temperatures can also be used for chemical syntheses like waste gas decomposition, methane pyrolysis, or carbon dioxide dissociation and for plasma spraying purposes. In the present publication an overview on the development and the investigation of the operating principle of two atmospheric pressure microwave plasma torches at frequencies of 2.45 GHz and 915 MHz will be presented. The plasma sources are based on a cylindrical resonator combined with coaxial structures. To explain how these plasma sources work, simulations of the electric field distribution will be discussed. Furthermore, some physical characteristics of an air and an Ar/H2 atmospheric plasma like gas temperatures, excitation temperatures and densities as well as the heating of the plasma by the microwave will be investigated. (© 2014 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

Determination of N and O‐atoms and N2 (A) Metastable Molecule Densities in the Afterglows of N2‐H2, Ar‐N2‐H2 and Ar‐N2‐O2 Microwave Discharges

Early afterglows of N₂‐H₂, Ar‐N₂‐H₂ and Ar‐N₂‐O₂ flowing microwave discharges are characterized by optical emission spectroscopy. The N and O atoms and the N₂ (A) metastable molecule densities are determined by optical emission spectroscopy after calibration by NO titration for N and O‐atoms and measurements of NO and N₂ band intensities. If an uncertainty of 30% is estimated on N‐atomic density, an inaccuracy of one order of magnitude is obtained on the O and N₂ (A) densities. In N₂‐(0.05‐2.5%)H₂ and Ar‐(1‐50%)N₂‐(0.05‐2.5%) H₂ gas mixtures, the O‐atoms are coming from O₂ impurities in the discharge. Concentrations of N and O‐atoms and of N₂ (A) densities are compared to the ones obtained in Ar‐(5‐50%)N₂‐(0.2‐2.5%) O₂ gas mixtures in which a controlled amount of O₂ is added. (© 2014 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

金属圆柱腔体中使用非均一背景增强微波断层成像

针对基于圆柱金属腔体的微波断层成像系统,提出了一种利用非均一背景增强系统获取目标信息能力的方法.该方法通过在腔体内放置已知物体构成非均一背景,这样不但能利用背景的先验信息,而且可以增加等效辐射源对目标进行探测.首先,利用矩量法计算圆柱金属腔体内非均一背景的格林函数和离散积分算子,并对离散积分算子进行奇异值谱和条件数分析,在理论上证明该方法的可行性;然后,利用基于有限元的对比源逆成像法对均一背景、有耗非均一背景和无耗非均一背景三种情况进行仿真研究;最后对仿真结果进行了误差分析和比较.仿真结果表明,该方法可以提高反演收敛速度和结果准确度,有耗非均一背景略优于无耗非均一背景.该方法可以在不改变硬件系统和算法的情况下得到更准确的反演结果,可应用于医学成像与工业无损探测.     

一种金属腔体中微波断层成像的最优分层非均一背景

针对基于金属腔体的微波断层成像系统,提出了一种最优分层非均一背景的设计方法.该方法使用一种新的微波断层成像积分算子评价方法和模拟退火法等最优化方法.首先,介绍了一种基于有限元法的微波断层成像积分算子计算方法.然后,提出一种新的微波断层成像积分算子度量,该度量可以综合评价整个积分算子奇异值谱,并通过一组仿真研究证明该度量与反演结果的误差具有相关性;该度量用一个数值综合评价一个积分算子,可以方便地应用于最优化算法中;利用模拟退火法选择圆形金属腔体中分层非均一背景的每一层介质的相对介电常数,从而获得一个最优分层非均一背景.最后,对尺寸小于半波长的圆柱目标和"凹"字形复杂目标进行仿真研究,仿真结果证明该最优分层非均一背景可以提高微波断层成像算法的收敛速度,提高反演结果的准确性.     

沿面闪络流体模型电离参数粒子模拟确定方法

介绍了粒子模拟确定高功率微波介质沿面闪络击穿流体模型相关电离参数的方法.对粒子模拟方法 (包括带电粒子动力学方程、次级电子发射以及蒙特卡罗碰撞模型)和流体整体模型方法 (包括连续性方程和能量守恒方程)做了简介.基于自编的1D3V粒子模拟-蒙特卡罗碰撞程序给出了在高(低)气压、不同气体种类以及不同微波场强和微波频率下流体模型电离参数的粒子模拟结果,包括电离频率、击穿时间、平均电子能量、电子能量分布函数类型.研究结果表明:平均电子能量与电子能量分布函数类型关系不大;中低气压下,电子能量接近Maxwell分布,电子能量分布函数类型对电离参数几乎没有影响;中高气压下,电子能量分布函数类型对电离参数有重要影响,其依赖系数X趋于高阶形式.不同气体的电子能量分布函数类型不同,需要利用粒子模拟对电子能量分布函数类型进行标定.同时,电子能量分布函数依赖系数与微波场强和频率也有关系,其随微波场强增加而增大,随微波频率增加而减小.在给定考察范围(微波场强在7 MV/m以下,微波频率在40 GHz以内),中低气压下,平均电子能量随微波场强增加而迅速增大,电离频率随微波场强增加先增大后降低,平均电子能量随微波频率增加而降低,电离频率随微波频率增加先增加后降低;高气压下,平均电子能量随微波场强增加而缓慢增大,电离频率随微波场强增加而增大,微波频率对平均电子能量和电离频率影响不大.     

微波-光波变电长度缩比条件下目标雷达散射截面相似性研究

利用光源体积较小且容易实现的特点,提出了将微波大尺度缩比到可见光波段,采用光源辐射产生的光波缩比测量目标在微波频段雷达散射截面的思想,讨论了由此带来的原型系统中目标几何尺寸不能缩得很小而导致的必须变电长度缩比问题,深入研究了在这种非等比的非精确相似条件下目标雷达散射截面的相似性关系,以及符合这种相似性关系的微波-光波变电尺度缩比仿真雷达散射截面的约束条件和补偿方法.研究成果为在实验室等较小场地实现大型电磁系统缩比仿真测量实验提供了新思路.     

基于次谐波调制光注入半导体激光器获取窄线宽微波信号的实验研究

实验研究了处于单周期振荡的光注入半导体激光器在频率等于单周期振荡频率一半的1/2次谐波调制下所产生的微波信号的特性.实验结果显示:在合适的注入条件下,处于单周期(P1)振荡的光注入半导体激光器可输出频率可达26.5 GHz、光谱具有单边带结构的光生微波信号,但微波信号的线宽比较宽(MHz量级);通过采用频率为单周期振荡频率一半的次谐波信号调制光注入半导体激光器,可将微波线宽从十几MHz压缩到几十k Hz.进一步分析了次谐波调制信号的功率以及频率对微波信号的相位噪声的影响,并在由次谐波调制信号的功率和频率构成的参数空间绘制出了能实现次谐波频率锁定的分布区域.     

螺旋波导压缩频率调制脉冲的初步研究

利用螺旋波导对频率调制脉冲进行压缩可大幅度提高脉冲峰值功率。利用所编Matlab程序对螺旋波导的色散特性进行了计算和分析,获得了波纹幅度和纵向周期长度等结构参数对其色散特性的影响规律;给出了脉冲功率压缩比的计算公式,对不同脉宽和频带宽度、不同频率调制形式的微波脉冲通过螺旋波导后的功率压缩比进行了计算和分析。计算表明:脉冲的频率调制形式对功率压缩比影响较大;相同频率调制形式下,脉冲长度越长,工作频带越宽,功率压缩比越高。为了获得尽可能高的功率压缩比,需对脉冲的频率变化方式进行调节,使其与螺旋波导色散特性匹配。同时还需要在高的功率压缩比和高的压缩效率之间做出权衡。计算得到,当注入脉冲的脉宽为40ns、工作频带为8.8~9.5GHz、频率调制形式与螺旋波导色散特性匹配时,功率压缩比达到了15,压缩效率约为40%。     

基于随机耦合模型的系统级电磁环境效应分析

通过宽频带电磁环境下计算机机箱关键部位感应电压统计分布的实验验证和基于随机矩阵理论的耦合模型的理论计算研究,给出了随机耦合模型(RCM)的应用流程和计算方法;就散射系数、归一化散射和归一化阻抗矩阵的统计特性进行了理论和实验研究,实验测量结果与理论分析结果非常一致;针对RCM的应用进行了初步分析,验证了随机耦合模型在复杂电磁环境下系统级效应分析和预测的适用性。结果证明此方法尤其适用于大型的具有非平行面封装腔体电子设备的电磁兼容、效应及评估等研究。