Thank you to our sponsor, Distinguished Professor Zoya Popovic!
Modern microwave ovens provide a quick method of heating food. However, they have several drawbacks. First, food tends to be heated unevenly. Due to the distribution of fields within the oven, certain areas of the food are heated more than others, even with the use of a turntable. Secondly, microwave ovens tend to use a magnetron to produce the electromagnetic waves. While time tested, they are bulky and have a short life span. Safety is another concern. On most commercial microwave ovens, there is a window for the user to view the food, and this leaks electromagnetic waves. Having no leakage is optimal for the user’s safety. A second user concern is that research shows people are dissatisfied with the microwave’s user interface. The biggest complaint is that there are too many buttons and that makes the device complicated.
There are a few current microwaves using modern solid state devices, but they have poor efficiency. This is because the device is unable to sense the load provided by the food, and simply dissipates the reflected energy as heat.
Solid-state devices make use of semiconductors in a solid material to allow charge-carriers to flow. This contrasts earlier analogue technologies such as the vacuum tube, which are both bulky and do not offer the amount of precision control as the more modern solid-state devices do. The solid-state microwave (S3MO) will provide a way to evenly and efficiently heat food through power regulation, and will be easier for the user to operate. This smart device adjusts settings such as cook time and power distribution and dissipation cavity to accommodate for different foods. It will also have a touch screen interface that displays the food cooking and is used as the method of input for the user. Therefore, S3MO will make operating the microwave simpler and make it safer since the window is eliminated for a touch screen. Seeking to replace the conventional vacuum tube microwave, S3MO benefits household consumers, company break rooms, restaurants, and anyone who already uses microwave ovens.
Key Features
- Evenly distributed heating for a variety of foods, less cold spots
- Less (if any) need to stir dishes to deal with uneven heating
- More power-efficient heating than current solid state microwaves because of the feedback system
- No turntable, so won’t ever need to clean, fix, or replace this part
- Minimal moving parts, more reliability
- Reduced size of the microwave, more portable
- Can make use of entire microwave space as opposed to being limited within the turntable area
- Touch screen with simpler user interface (less buttons and a clear instructions)
- Screen that shows the food cooking