Author:

Keywords:

Radiofrequency, Pest Control

Abstract:

Experience learns that conventional pasteurization methods in pest control of foodstuff (hot air, hot water and chemical methods) are not qualitatively and economically efficient. In some cases, these conventional pasteurization methods even turn out to be dangerous for human health. Because of its direct impact on dipoles of dielectric materials, its volumetric heating effect and minimal influence on the food quality, RF heating is one of the most promising methods in industrial pest control of foodstuff. In this research, first the temperature rise in the food and pest is studied analytically and is validated numerically using commercial software. These will be compared with experimental results. Then the important agriculture product, wheat flour is tested with RF pasteurization. A 1 kW dielectric heater at variable frequency (13.56 MHz, 27.12 MHz and 40.68 MHz) has been designed, and implemented for this experiment. The samples are contaminated by Tribolium Confusum flour. The pestiferous wheat flour is heated at 13.56 MHz in 10, 20, 30, 40, 45 and 60 seconds, at 27.12 MHz in 5, 10, 20, 25, 30, 35 and 60 seconds and at 40.68 MHz in 5, 10, 20, 12, 15 and 60 seconds.