Application of genetic algorithms for microwave oven design: Power efficiency optimization

In this work we present power efficiency optimization for microwave ovens by means of genetic algorithms (GA). Two kind of microwave applicators are analyzed in this case: cylindrical and rectangular ones. In the first case, optimization of the oven uses cavity dimensions, waveguide feeding location and polarization as design parameters. In the second case, waveguide slots are used to feed the rectangular multimode cavity. The slots' dimension, position and angle in the waveguide are optimized by the genetic algorithm in order to achieve the best power efficiency. AU simulations are carried out by the CST Microwave Studio¿, a Finite Integration Technique (FIT) commercial software capable of solving electromagnetic (EM) structures in three dimensions whereas GA are implemented in Matlab¿. The obtained results show that combination of both the EM software and GA provides a very powerful tool for microwave oven design and optimization. © Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg 2007.