Heating system with enhanced temperature control

A heating system for heating articles, said heating system comprising:

• a heating chamber for heating articles using microwave energy, wherein said heating chamber is configured to be at least partially filled with a fluid forming a liquid bath;
• and
• a fluid distribution and temperature control system comprising:
• a heat transfer system comprising at least one heat transfer device for one or more of heating and cooling said fluid;
• and
• a plurality of nozzles for one or more of discharging fluid into said heating chamber and removing fluid from said heating chamber,
• wherein:
• each nozzle of said plurality of nozzles is in fluid flow communication with said heat transfer system,
• said plurality of nozzles is distributed along a length of said heating chamber, and
• said plurality of nozzles is configured such that a ratio of volumetric flow rate of fluid discharged into said heating chamber to volumetric flow rate of fluid removed from said heating chamber near an inlet area of said heating chamber is greater than a ratio of volumetric flow rate of fluid discharged into said heating chamber to volumetric flow rate of fluid removed from said heating chamber near an outlet area of said heating chamber.

A process for heating articles in a heating system, said process comprising:

• (a) passing an article in a carrier through a heating chamber that is at least partially filled with a liquid medium to form a liquid bath;
• (b) heating said article in said carrier, wherein said article is at least partially submerged in said liquid bath during said heating, and wherein at least a portion of said heating is performed using microwave energy;
• and
• (c) one or more of adding fluid into and removing fluid from at least one location in said heating chamber to maintain a temperature profile across said heating chamber in which a temperature of said liquid bath at an inlet area of said heating chamber is at least 10° C. cooler than a temperature of said liquid bath at an outlet area of said heating chamber,
• wherein:
• said one or more of adding fluid and removing fluid of step (c) includes discharging a portion of said fluid into said heating chamber and withdrawing a portion of said fluid from said heating chamber, respectively, via a plurality of nozzles distributed along a length of said heating chamber between said inlet are and said outlet area, and
• a ratio of volumetric flow rate of fluid discharged into said heating chamber to volumetric flow rate of fluid removed from said heating chamber near said inlet area is greater than a ratio of volumetric flow rate of fluid discharged into said heating chamber to volumetric flow rate of fluid removed from said heating chamber near said outlet area.