Apparatus and method to treat dairy products

Processing apparatus, in which a dairy product is pumped by a pump through a microwave chamber and thereby heated, dried, disinfected, pasteurized and/or sterilized,

• wherein the processing apparatus comprises at least one solid-state radio frequency source that is configured to generate microwave energy;
• at least one sensor;
• and a control system;
• wherein the at least one solid-state radio frequency source is configured to generate and transmit the microwave energy to the dairy product, the at least one sensor is configured to measure the microwave energy that is reflected from the dairy product, and the control system is configured to compare the transmitted microwave energy to the reflected microwave energy and then, based on the comparison, the control system is configured to adjust any additional microwave energy that is transmitted by the at least one solid-state radio frequency source;
• and
• wherein the processing apparatus comprises a chamber that surrounds the microwave chamber, the chamber is arranged in between the microwave chamber and the at least one solid-state radio frequency source so that the at least one solid-state radio frequency source is spaced apart from and free from contacting a wall of the microwave chamber.

A processing apparatus comprising:

• a microwave chamber;
• a pump configured to pump a diary product through the microwave chamber to heat, dry, disinfect, pasteurize, and/or sterilize the dairy product;
• a plurality of chambers disposed around the circumference of the microwave chamber, one or more of which contain one or a plurality of solid-state radio frequency sources;
• a microwave tube disposed around the circumference of the microwave chamber, that separates the microwave chamber from the plurality of chambers;
• a housing in which the microwave chamber is located, the housing comprises a plurality of openings defined around its circumference, each of the plurality of openings lead to one of the plurality of chambers in which one of the plurality of solid-state radio frequency sources are located,;
• a waveguide covering one or more of the plurality of openings and configured to direct RF-radiation in a direction of the dairy product;
• and
• wherein the processing apparatus comprises a chamber that surrounds the microwave chamber, the chamber is arranged in between the microwave chamber and the plurality of chambers so that the one or the plurality of solid-state radio frequency sources are spaced apart from and free from contacting a wall of the microwave chamber, and wherein the chamber that surrounds the microwave chamber is cooled by a cooling unit to cool the one or the plurality of solid-state radio frequency sources.