Patent ID: 6233841
Filing Date: 2001-05-22
Classification: A23L,F26B

Abstract:
A dehydration plant for dehydrating food products, comprising:(a) a microwave kiln;(b) conveyor means for conveying food products along a conveying path through the kiln, the conveyor means including a plurality of conveyor segments, each said conveyor segment having a forward upstream end and a rear downstream end, the conveyor segments being positioned in an overlapping arrangement such that the rear downstream ends of at least two of said conveyor segments are spaced above the forward upstream ends of the next respective conveyor segments to define vertical drops spaced along the conveying path through which food products fall,(c) circulation means for circulating air through the kiln including the vertical drops;(d) refrigerated dehumidification means for dehumidifying the air to be circulated through the kiln; and(e) heating means for heating the air to be circulated through the kiln; such that food products conveyed through the kiln are simultaneously exposed to both microwave emissions and the flow of dehumidified heated air to thereby dehydrate the food products.