Microwave autoclave

An autoclave for pressure and temperature treatment of objects in the production of fiber compound parts, said autoclave comprising:

• a pressure container having a pressure resistant wall which encloses a pressure chamber for receiving the objects to be treated, said pressure chamber having a free inner diameter of at least 1.5 m ;
• and
• a heat source for heating the objects received in said pressure chamber, said heat source including:
• a plurality of microwave sources irradiating microwave radiation, which are arranged outside said pressure container;
• and
• at least one hot air source for building up pressure in said pressure chamber by means of increasing a gas temperature of gas enclosed by said pressure container;
• said microwave sources being distributed over said pressure resistant wall at an areal density of at least 4 microwave sources per square meter surface area of said pressure resistant wall, and
• the microwave radiation irradiated by said microwave sources being coupled into a coaxial wave guide extending through said pressure resistant wall into said pressure chamber, an outer guiding element of said coaxial wave guide being a metal tube
• which is welded to said pressure resistant wall,
• which extends through an air guiding and microwave reflecting sheet arranged at a distance to said pressure resistant wall in the interior of said pressure container, and
• which is closed towards the pressure chamber by means of a pressure resistant, but microwave permeable cap.

An autoclave for pressure and temperature treatment of objects comprising:

• a pressure container having a pressure resistant wall which encloses a pressure chamber for receiving the objects to be treated, said pressure chamber having a free inner diameter of at least 1.5 m;
• and
• a heat source for heating the objects received in said pressure chamber, said heat source including a plurality of microwave sources irradiating microwave radiation, which are arranged outside said pressure container,
• the microwave radiation irradiated by said microwave sources being coupled through said pressure resistant wall into said pressure chamber, in that the microwave radiation irradiated by each of said microwave sources arranged outside said pressure container is coupled into a coaxial wave guide extending through said pressure resistant wall;
• wherein an outer guiding element of said coaxial wave guide is a metal tube extending through and welded to said pressure resistant wall, said metal tube being closed towards the pressure chamber by means of a pressure resistant, but microwave permeable cap, and
• wherein said coaxial wave guide extends through an air guiding and microwave reflecting sheet arranged at a distance to said pressure resistant wall within said pressure chamber.