Apparatus and related industrial applications with solid-state RF energy technology

Method to treat a substance with radio-frequency waves comprising:

• transporting the substance with a conveyor through a food chamber of a processing apparatus, and
• heating the substance within the food chamber with a multitude of solid-state radio frequency sources, each one of the multitude of solid-state radio frequency sources comprises a radio-frequency power amplifier that drives an antenna for transmitting microwaves, the antenna is located in a waveguide, which guides the microwaves towards the substance in the food chamber to heat the substance, wherein the food chamber is at least partially transmittable for RF-radiation, the RF-radiation is isolated from ambient via one or more valves of the processing apparatus,
• wherein the multitude of solid-state radio frequency sources comprise four or more solid-state radio frequency sources that are equidistantly arranged around the conveyor and a circumference of the food chamber, and
• wherein the method further comprises:
• cooling the waveguides with a cooling chamber that is connected to a cooling circuit, wherein the food chamber and the multitude of solid-state radio frequency sources are located within the cooling chamber, wherein the cooling step comprises:
• measuring a temperature of one or more of the multitude of solid-state radio frequency sources and then based on the measured temperature of the one or more of the multitude of solid-state radio frequency sources, the method comprises:
• controlling a fluid flow of a cooling agent and/or a temperature of the cooling agent in the cooling chamber and around the food chamber and the multitude of solid-state radio frequency sources.