Comparative analysis of microvave frequency devices for grain disinfection

To date, the main method of combating the contamination of grain and seeds in agriculture is chemical etching. Its essence lies in applying to the surface of seeds chemically active substances that destroy the parasitic microflora. However, the chemical method of sterilization is not without serious shortcomings. It is known that the most effective disinfectants - systemic fungicides - are poisonous, including for humans. The use of such substances in addition to toxicological effects contributes to the development of resistance of parasitic microorganisms, their mutations in the direction of extremely dangerous and resistant species. To avoid this, alternative methods and equipment are needed. Electrophysical effects, in particular, microwave frequency energy. At the same time, the mechanism for suppressing the parasitic microflora is fundamentally different and consists in the influence of biological organisms on the internal natural environment of biological organisms. In this environment, all the cellular processes of living organisms occur, therefore, changing its parameters, accompanied by the formation of active ions, is critical for the vital activity of parasitic microorganisms. For the ionization process to produce a significant effect, certain characteristics of microwave radiation are needed: power, duration, uniformity of supply to the material, which depends on the equipment used. The article formulates the basic requirements for decontaminating microwave equipment that can be effectively used in agriculture. The most important parameters of existing microwave devices are considered. For comparative evaluation, an almost convenient criterion is proposed - the decontamination efficiency factor, which takes into account the most important characteristics of the equipment in question in one digit. The calculation of the newly introduced coefficient for a number of microwave devices has been performed and its graphical interpretation is given. It is shown that the innovative installation SIGMA-1, developed at the Agrarian Science Center Donskoy, surpasses the analogues in terms of the decontamination efficiency factor of 1,5...3 times. Its advantages also include the possibility of further improvement by increasing the number of waveguide sections, which multiplies the productivity.

sterilization, electrophysical disinfection, microwave device, technical characteristics, efficiency factor of decontamination, waveguide section