ProWave® Industrial Processing Systems
We are a global supplier of high performance technology solutions with the vision and know-how to transform the manufacturing sector using microwave technology.
For over 60 years, we have created and perfected microwave devices and sub-systems which are used in demanding industrial applications such as radiotherapy machines, industrial heating, broadcasting and satellite communications.
Our advanced knowledge of power-electronics, microwave technologies and demanding industrial standards has helped us to develop the world’s most advanced microwave generator platform. Our customers are using these technologies to unlock innovative new production techniques and enhance traditional manufacturing processes right across the industrial sector, from applications including recovery of mineral ores to the acceleration of bulk chemical reactions and the advanced preparation of food.
“Selecting the right partners is critical and Teledyne e2v’s depth of technical knowledge, compliance understanding, safety culture, commitment to success and global support have made them one of our most productive partners on our journey from pilot to commercialisation.” Rio Tinto
Our Journey
No matter which stage of the development cycle you’ve reached, Teledyne e2v can help accelerate the commercialisation of your industrial microwave process.
At Teledyne e2v we understand what it takes to deploy and maintain a new manufacturing platform globally. Our unique approach is founded upon our experience of working alongside a selection of specialist partners in order to form robust, enduring supply chains, capable of delivering major global projects. Close collaboration with academic and industry experts ensures that we remain at the forefront of microwave development, enabling us to provide informed advice and consultancy at every stage.
Considering microwave – is it right for your application?
Establishing whether microwave technology can enhance your existing process, or enable you to manufacture an entirely new product, is ordinarily undertaken in a laboratory environment. With the help of our research partners, we will ensure that the fundamental science which underpins your process is robust.
The essential next step is to estimate how much value this new process represents to your organisation, both now and in the future, taking into account any fluctuation in energy prices and the imminent legislative push towards “clean technologies”.
Proven at lab scale – now what?
Commercialising a lab scale “proof of concept” requires a multi-disciplinary approach, along with considerable engineering resource and know-how. Scale-up is usually incremental, so collaborating with industry-specific experts at each stage is essential and ensures both upstream and downstream processes are well integrated.
Our advanced software-based modelling capabilities avoid the need for trial and error, and together with our modular, scalable ProWave™ platform, we can minimise technical risk and accelerate your time-to-market.
Already developed a microwave process?
If you’ve already developed a commercial-scale microwave process, you’ll need a partner to help you deploy this technology across your business. Teledyne e2v’s global support network and infrastructure will help you establish a robust, future-proof supply chain. We work with independent test houses to ensure our products comply with the toughest international standards for quality and safety. We recognise that introducing a new manufacturing process on a global scale is capital-intensive, so we have designed a modular platform, allowing you to achieve economies of scale simply not possible with conventional microwave generator technology.
In the late 1970s, domestic microwave ovens heralded the advent of smart food preparation in the home. Since then, microwave technology has been refined and perfected for large-scale industrial use and has already been successfully deployed in a number of niche applications from synthetic diamond production to commercial bacon
cooking.
Microwave technology has the potential to unlock innovative new manufacturing techniques which can deliver significant economic and competitive advantage. By changing the way bulk materials are processed, the benefits of microwave technology can be realised across a range of industries, including mining, chemical, petrochemical and food processing.
Unlike conventional heating methods based on thermal conduction which apply heat from the outside, microwaves penetrate further into the body of the material, resulting in rapid, safe and uniform heating. Microwaves are electromagnetic waves, which every material will absorb to a greater or lesser extent. The ability to selectively heat specific components in a bulk material, whether it be a chemical solution, ore body or industrial waste stream, can be exploited to enable a variety of process efficiencies and economic benefits.
The availability of raw materials, the rising cost of energy and increasing environmental sensitivity are amongst the biggest challenges that the manufacturing sector will face in the coming decades. Overcoming these trends will require innovative process technologies, which enable product differentiation and a step-change in performance and efficiency. One such technology is industrial microwave processing, which has the potential to transform and future-proof your business for decades to come.
Teledyne e2v works with carefully selected research groups and engineering partners to develop tailored solutions. We apply state-of-the-art modelling techniques and simulation tools to minimise potential risk and shorten development timescales.
Material Characterisation
The way in which microwaves interact with a particular material is determined by the material’s dielectric properties. These properties may also change with temperature, so accurate characterisation of a material’s dielectric properties is fundamental to designing a microwave heating process. Teledyne e2v and its research partners employ state of the art tools and techniques to measure the dielectric properties of volatile chemicals, viscous liquids, granular and fibrous material, minerals and even complex material from mixed-waste streams.
Modelling & Simulation
Our powerful suite of modelling software allows us to construct complex 3D field models which are combined with multiphysics simulations to predict the real-world performance of microwave processes and optimise them for best performance. An essential part of the scale-up process, this allows us to accelerate the time and therefore reduce the cost associated with design, fabrication and testing on large-scale microwave systems.
Teledyne e2v’s ProWave® microwave generator technology has been developed from the ground-up based on decades of experience. Our patented features address a number of the issues typically found with conventional generator technology.
ProWave® products are designed for rugged large scale industrial processing. We will package our generator technology to suit your production environment, taking into account factors such as ingress, altitude, temperature variation and ignition risk. Designed to be fully compliant with utility regulations, irrespective of the power frequency specified. We appoint third-party compliance auditors to ensure our products satisfy all relevant quality and safety standards in every territory we service. Our microwave generator platform uses proven power supply modules, similar to those used in marine applications and wind turbines. These modules offer exceptional reliability and enable us to maximise uptime in production-critical applications.
Magnetron
At the heart of a microwave generator is the magnetron, a specialist device that enables the conversion of mains electrical power into microwave energy. Teledyne e2v is one of the world’s largest producers of high performance magnetrons for industrial, medical and radar applications and employs a number of patent protected features to offer outstanding lifetime and reliability benefits.
ProWave® Multi-Head Platform Concept
Teledyne e2v designs, manufactures and supports the world’s most advanced microwave generators, capable of delivering several hundreds of Kilowatts and even Megawatts of microWave power. Our flexible generator platform gives us the unique ability to customise the power and frequency of a microwave solution to suit the application.
Advantages of the Multi-Head Platform
Until now, industrial microwave technology has been highly capital intensive, especially in large-scale applications, which combine multiple generators to achieve the required throughputs. The patented multi-head technology developed by Teledyne e2v offers a revolutionary scalable and modular approach to the generation and transmission of microwave power. Teledyne e2v’s innovative design uses a common power supply unit to drive multiple remote microwave heads. This unique platform enables us to apply microwave power in a distributed fashion and achieve economies of scale never before seen with microwave generators.
- A single point user interface to control each microwave head independently
- Small footprint – ideal for offshore or remote site use and portable applications
- Additional stand-by heads can reduce downtime during maintenance
- Consistent delivery of microwave power across all operating conditions
- Fewer parts means reduced maintenance costs
- Greater flexibility when configuring your plant layout or working around existing assets.