PROCESS ENERGETICS

The Process Energetics Program (PREP)

The Process Energetics Laboratory is located in the Center for Energy Studies at The University of Texas at Austin. This 7000 ft2 laboratory is recognized as one of the outstanding facilities in the world for the study of microwave and radio-frequency effects in materials processing. Facilities include a number of pilot and bench-scale industrial microwave and radio-frequency heating and drying systems, a complete properties evaluation laboratory, and specialized instrumentation for measurement of thermal phenomena in high EM fields.

1.5 kW 2450 MHz low-ripple Gerling microwave generator and HP network analyzer. This system is used for property measurements and single-mode resonant cavity applicators.
8 kW radio-frequency oven used for pilot-scale experiments.
200 W radio-frequency oven used for benchscale experiments.
The laboratory also includes numerous supporting laboratory equipment, such as vacuum and convection ovens (shown above), photoionization detector, and thermal camera.