Microwave applications of industrial free electron lasers

Informations projet

N° de convention de subvention: BRRT985052

Projet clôturé

Date de début 1 Avril 1998

Date de fin 31 Mars 2001

Financé au titre de

• Specific research and technological development programme in the field of industrial and materials technologies, 1994-1998

Coût total Aucune donnée

Contribution de l’UE Aucune donnée

Coordonné par

THE UNIVERSITY OF LIVERPOOL
United Kingdom

Résultats exploitables

Microwave applications of free electron lasers; IFEL

This project is a Thematic Network aimed at increasing the awareness of industry to the benefits of using tuneable microwave sources. The role of microwaves within material technologies has so far been a minor one. This is because there is only one source available, the magnetron, and this can only provide distributed heating, with simple amplitude modulation control. Industrial applications in material processing require focused microwave power, similar to a laser beam, to achieve high power density and also require frequency modulation for process control. As a consequence magnetrons have only found commercial applications in a very few areas such as food processing. Within this Thematic Network the newly developed microwave Industrial Free Electron Laser (IFEL) offers the potential to overcome the limitations of the magnetron. The IFEL has allowed the frequency range to be extended up from the magnetron frequency of 2.46 GHz to at least 100GHz with kWs output power. This substantial reduction in wavelength has now opened up a range of new industrial applications based upon microwave plasma generation and focused heating. IFELs are compact devices suitable for use in a factory location and have a cost comparable to that of a magnetron system. This is a highly specialised area and there are presently only two EC IFEL Research Centres namely NCLR, The University of Twente and The University of Liverpool. This project enabled IFEL system development and applications by pooling the EC resources and establishing collaboration between the EC leading microwave specialists and industry. The realisation of this project leads to the introduction for the first time of IFEL technology into manufacturing processes where the new technology would have most impact, most benefits and to solve problems which exist with the current technology. -Many industrial processes within the plasma and focused heating industries will exploit IFELs to produce low cost, energy efficient systems as an alternative to CO2 lasers with both energy and cost saving being as large as 90%. -Employment will be created, by establishing new areas of material production such as chemicals, adhesives and ceramics. -A unique application of these microwaves is the generation of UV/Ozone, which will be used for sterilisation of drinking water, food and factory units by the killing of bacteria and micro-organisms (e-coli). -Environmental improvements will be achieved by the reduction of gaseous combustion pollutants (CO, NOx, particulates) produced by waste incinerators and from large combustion engines. The activities of the Thematic Network have identified major technological advantages of using highly focused microwaves. Therefore a new EU project MICROPRO has been approved. This project contains leading EC Research Centres and manufacturing companies who are presently using magnetrons. They will introduce pilot schemes using IFEL generated microwaves within their industries. The outcome of the project will be a strong European microwave industry both in the manufacture of microwave IFEL systems and the use of novel microwaves processes for industry. This will eventually lead to a competitive industry and job creation of the order of the size of the CO2 gas laser industry (4875 MEuros pa).