WO2017013961A1 - Heating device and heating method - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide, inter alia, a heating method where the inside of a frozen body can be heated. A heating apparatus (10) is provided with an electromagnetic wave irradiation part (11) for generating electromagnetic waves (13) and heats an object (100) using the electromagnetic waves, wherein: the frequency of the electromagnetic waves is 0.05-5 THz; the object, of which at least a portion is ice (101), is irradiated with the electromagnetic waves, and the interior of the frozen body is heated.

Description

Heating apparatus and heating method

The present invention relates to a heating device and a heating method.

As an example of an apparatus for heating an object, a heating apparatus using electromagnetic waves is known as a conventional technique.

Patent Document 1 describes a microwave oven that heats an object with microwaves having a frequency of 5.8 GHz. Patent Document 1 describes a microwave oven that heats an object with microwaves having a frequency of 2.45 GHz as a conventional technique.

Patent Document 2 describes an infrared radiation anhydrous heating apparatus that heats an object by emitting infrared rays having a wavelength of 3 μm or 6 μm. Here, when the wavelength of infrared rays is 3 μm or 6 μm, the frequency of the infrared rays is 100 THz or 50 THz, respectively.

Japanese Patent Publication “Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 3-203191 (published on September 4, 1991)” Japanese Patent Publication “Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 1-109676 (published on April 26, 1989)” Japanese Patent Publication “JP 2006-17418 (January 19, 2006)” Japanese Patent Publication “Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2010-256254 (published on November 11, 2010)”

However, when the inside of the frozen body is to be heated by irradiating the frozen body with electromagnetic waves, the above-described conventional techniques have the following problems.

As described above, the microwave oven described in Patent Document 1 irradiates a target with a microwave having a frequency of 5.8 GHz. For microwaves at the above frequencies, the absorption coefficient of ice is lower than the absorption coefficient of water. However, for microwaves at the above frequencies, the water absorption coefficient is also not high enough to allow efficient heating. Therefore, a reflector for reflecting the microwave that has passed through the water and making it incident on the water again becomes necessary. Moreover, since the microwave of the said frequency has a low energy density compared with the electromagnetic wave of a higher frequency, it is necessary to make the output of a microwave high.

Meanwhile, as described above, the device described in Patent Document 2 radiates infrared rays having a frequency of 100 THz or 50 THz to an object. However, there is almost no difference between the absorption coefficient of water and the absorption coefficient of ice for infrared rays having the above frequency. Therefore, when infrared rays having the above frequency are radiated to water through ice, the ice is also heated to the same extent by the infrared rays and melts. Therefore, it is difficult to heat water without melting ice by the apparatus described in Patent Document 2.

In the above description, Patent Documents 1 and 2 have been described on the case where the object to be heated contains water and ice. However, even when the object includes a liquid other than water and a frozen body of the liquid, the above-described problem similarly exists.

In view of the above-described problems, an object of the present invention is to provide a heating method and a heating apparatus capable of heating the inside of a frozen body.

In order to solve the above problems, a heating device according to one embodiment of the present invention is a heating device that includes an electromagnetic wave source that generates an electromagnetic wave and heats an object using the electromagnetic wave, and the frequency of the electromagnetic wave is 0. .05 THz or more and 5 THz or less, and the object is at least partially irradiated with the electromagnetic wave, and the inside of the frozen body is heated.

The heating method according to one embodiment of the present invention is a heating method in which an object is heated by electromagnetic waves, and the frequency of the electromagnetic waves is 0.05 THz or more and 5 THz or less, and the electromagnetic waves are at least partly. The object is a frozen body, and the inside of the frozen body is heated.

According to one embodiment of the present invention, a heating device and a heating method capable of heating the inside of a frozen body can be realized.

It is the schematic which shows the structure of the heating apparatus which concerns on Embodiment 1 of this invention. It is a table | surface which shows the relationship between the frequency of electromagnetic waves, and the absorption coefficient of ice and water. It is a graph which shows the relationship between the frequency of electromagnetic waves, and the absorption coefficient of ice and water. It is the schematic which shows the structure of the heating apparatus which concerns on Embodiment 2 of this invention. It is the schematic which shows the structure of the heating apparatus which concerns on Embodiment 3 of this invention. It is the schematic which shows the usage example of the heating apparatus which concerns on Embodiment 3 of this invention. It is the schematic which shows the structure of the heating apparatus which concerns on Embodiment 4 of this invention. It is the schematic which shows the structure of the heating apparatus which concerns on the modification 2 of Embodiment 4 of this invention. It is the schematic which shows the structure of the heating apparatus which concerns on Embodiment 5 of this invention. It is the schematic which shows the structure of the heating apparatus which concerns on the modification of Embodiment 5 of this invention.

Embodiment 1
Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to FIGS. In the present embodiment, a heating method and a heating apparatus capable of efficiently heating water without irradiating electromagnetic waves to the water through ice and almost melting ice will be described.

(Configuration of heating device 10)
FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating a configuration of a heating device 10 according to the present embodiment and an object 100 irradiated with electromagnetic waves by the heating device 10. As shown in FIG. 1, the heating device 10 includes an electromagnetic wave irradiation unit 11 (an electromagnetic wave source) and a support base 12. The object 100 includes ice 101 (frozen body) and water 102. The heating device 10 heats the water inside the ice 101 by irradiating the object 100 with electromagnetic waves. In FIG. 1, a range in which the electromagnetic wave 13 is irradiated is schematically shown by a dotted line.

The electromagnetic wave irradiation unit 11 is a member that irradiates the water 102 included in the object 100 with the electromagnetic wave 13 through the ice 101. The frequency range of the electromagnetic wave 13 is 0.05 THz or more and 5 THz or less. The frequency range is preferably 0.05 THz or more and 1 THz or less.

The output of the electromagnetic wave 13 is not particularly limited as long as it is a value that can heat the water 102 to a desired temperature. In the present embodiment, the output of the electromagnetic wave 13 is 1 W or more. The output of 1 W is an output that can increase the temperature of 1 g of water by 14 ° C. in 1 minute.

The device constituting the electromagnetic wave irradiation unit 11 is not particularly limited as long as it can irradiate the electromagnetic wave 13 in the frequency range described above. Examples of devices constituting the electromagnetic wave irradiation unit 11 include a Gunn diode, an impat diode, a tannet diode, a resonant tunnel diode (RTD), a heterojunction bipolar transistor (HBT, Heterojunction 、 Bipolar Transistor), and a high electron mobility. Transistor (HEMT, High Electron Mobility Transistor), Quantum Cascade Laser (QCL, Quantum Cascade Laser), Monolithic Microwave Integrated Circuit (MMIC, Monolithic Microwave Integrated Circuit), Multiplier, or a single unit that generates electromagnetic waves by the difference frequency of light A traveling carrier photodiode (UTC-PD, Uni-Traveling-Carrier Photo Diode) or the like can be used.

Advantages of using a Gunn diode, an impat diode, or a tannet diode as a device constituting the electromagnetic wave irradiation unit 11 include a relatively inexpensive and small size.

Advantages when the RTD is used as a device constituting the electromagnetic wave irradiation unit 11 include that it can generate a relatively high frequency electromagnetic wave and is small.

Advantages of using HBT, HEMT, QCL, or MMIC as a device constituting the electromagnetic wave irradiation unit 11 include generation of a relatively high output electromagnetic wave and a small size.

Advantages of using a multiplier or UTC-PD as a device constituting the electromagnetic wave irradiation unit 11 include a high degree of freedom in the set frequency of the electromagnetic wave 13.

The support table 12 is a table that supports the object 100. The structure and material of the support base 12 are not particularly limited as long as the object 100 can be supported. Further, the electromagnetic wave irradiation unit 11 is embedded in the support base 12.

(Control of heating)
The method for controlling the heating by the heating device 10 is not particularly limited. For example, the heating device 10 may include a switch that switches on and off the irradiation of the electromagnetic wave 13 from the electromagnetic wave irradiation unit 11. In this case, the heating of the water 102 using the heating device 10 is controlled by the user switching the switch.

Further, the heating device 10 may include a control unit that controls irradiation of the electromagnetic wave 13 from the electromagnetic wave irradiation unit 11. For example, the control unit may control the heating (determine the output and the heating time) by estimating the temperature of the water 102 from the output of the electromagnetic wave 13 and the heating time. In this case, since a sensor for measuring the temperature of the water 102 is unnecessary, the manufacturing cost of the heating device 10 can be reduced.

Further, the heating device 10 may include a sensor that detects the temperature of the water 102. In this case, the control unit can control the heating of the water 102 based on the temperature of the water 102 detected by the sensor.

The sensor that detects the temperature of the water 102 may be an image sensor, for example. In this case, the image sensor acquires an image of the water 102 and determines whether the water 102 is boiling based on the acquired image. As a result, the image sensor detects the temperature of the water 102. The control unit can accurately recognize whether or not the water 102 is boiling from the result detected by the image sensor.

The sensor that detects the temperature of the water 102 may be an infrared sensor. An infrared sensor is a sensor that can detect the temperature of a measurement object without contact. In this case, the control unit can control the heating device 10 so as to heat the water 102 to an arbitrary temperature.

There is no particular limitation on the stopping of heating by the heating device 10. For example, the heating may be manually stopped, or the heating may be stopped when a predetermined temperature is reached. In the latter case, the heating device 10 may be configured so that the temperature at which the heating is stopped can be manually set.

(Effect of heating device 10)
FIG. 2 is a table showing the relationship between the frequency of electromagnetic waves and the absorption coefficient of ice and water. FIG. 3 is a graph showing the relationship between the frequency of electromagnetic waves and the absorption coefficient of ice and water. The marker positions in FIG. 3 correspond to the data shown in FIG. Moreover, the broken lines in FIG. 3 indicate 5 THz, 1 THz, and 0.05 THz in order from the higher frequency. As shown in FIG. 2 and FIG. 3, the absorption coefficient of water with respect to the electromagnetic wave is drastically decreased in the region where the frequency of the electromagnetic wave is lower than 0.05 THz than in the region where 0.05 THz or more.

In the region where the frequency of the electromagnetic wave is smaller than 0.05 THz, the water absorption coefficient for the electromagnetic wave is smaller than 60 cm ^−1, which is the lower limit value of the absorption coefficient that can heat water efficiently without using a reflector. The value of 60 cm ^{−1 is} a value in which 99% or more of the energy of the electromagnetic wave is absorbed by the object while the electromagnetic wave travels 1 mm through the object. Therefore, when the frequency of the electromagnetic wave is less than 0.05 THz, a reflector is required to efficiently heat water by the electromagnetic wave.

On the other hand, when the frequency of the electromagnetic wave is higher than 5 THz, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, there is almost no difference between the absorption coefficient of water with respect to the electromagnetic wave and the absorption coefficient of ice, or the absorption coefficient of ice is more water. The absorption coefficient may be higher. In this case, when the electromagnetic wave is irradiated to the water through the ice, the ice is heated to the same extent by the electromagnetic wave. Therefore, when the frequency of electromagnetic waves is greater than 5 THz, water cannot be heated without melting ice.

On the other hand, in the heating apparatus 10 of this embodiment, the frequency of the electromagnetic wave 13 is 0.05 THz or more and 5 THz or less. As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, an electromagnetic wave having a frequency within this frequency range has a water absorption coefficient significantly higher than that of ice and a water absorption coefficient of 60 cm ⁻¹ or more.

For this reason, the heating device 10 irradiates the water 102 with the electromagnetic wave 13 through the ice 101 to efficiently heat the water 102 without substantially melting the ice 101 (while maintaining the ice state). Can do. In addition, since the water 102 is heated by the electromagnetic wave 13, it is not necessary to use a reflector that reflects the electromagnetic wave that has passed through the water and makes it incident on the water again.

Further, the electromagnetic wave 13 used by the heating device 10 has a higher energy density than an electromagnetic wave having a frequency of less than 0.05 THz. Therefore, the water 102 can be heated with a relatively low output, which leads to energy saving.

The frequency of the electromagnetic wave 13 is preferably 0.05 THz or more and 1 THz or less. In this case, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the absorption coefficient of ice is smaller than 1/50 of the absorption coefficient of water.

The absorption coefficient of the medium with respect to electromagnetic waves is expressed by the following formula (1), where α is the absorption coefficient, I0 is the electromagnetic wave intensity before absorption, I is the electromagnetic wave intensity after absorption, and x is the thickness of the medium.

Formula (1): α = − (ln (I / I0)) / x (ln is a natural logarithm)
According to this formula, when the absorption coefficient of ice is smaller than 1/50 of the absorption coefficient of water, when the electromagnetic wave is irradiated to the ice having the same thickness as the water that absorbs 99% of the electromagnetic wave energy, the electromagnetic wave Can only be absorbed by ice below 10%.

That is, if the frequency of the electromagnetic wave 13 is 0.05 THz or more and 1 THz or less, the electromagnetic wave 13 is more difficult to be absorbed by the ice 101. Therefore, when the electromagnetic wave 13 is irradiated to the water 102 through the ice 101, the water 102 can be heated more efficiently.

The difference in absorption coefficient between water and ice that can be read from FIG. 2 and FIG. 3 is due to the fact that the absorption by the vibration mode or relaxation mode between molecules differs between liquid and solid. Therefore, even when the object to be heated contains a liquid other than water, an electromagnetic wave having a frequency of 0.05 THz or more and 5 THz or less, particularly 0.05 THz or more and 1 THz or less is easily absorbed by the liquid, and the frozen body Difficult to be absorbed by certain solids. If the object to be heated is an aqueous solution in which another substance is mixed with water, a difference in absorption coefficient that substantially conforms to the data shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 appears depending on the water contained in the aqueous solution. The same applies to foods containing water or samples containing cells.

(Other configuration of the heating device 10)
The heating apparatus 10 shown in FIG. 1 includes a single electromagnetic wave irradiation unit 11. However, the heating device 10 may include a plurality of electromagnetic wave irradiation units 11. In that case, the plurality of electromagnetic wave irradiation units 11 may irradiate the same region of the water 102 with the electromagnetic wave 13 or may irradiate different regions with the electromagnetic wave 13.

When the plurality of electromagnetic wave irradiation units 11 irradiate the same region of the water 102 with the electromagnetic wave 13, the total output of the electromagnetic waves 13 irradiated toward the region is the sum of the output of the electromagnetic wave 13 irradiated by the single electromagnetic wave irradiation unit 11. Greater than output. Therefore, the heating time required for the water 102 to reach a desired temperature can be shortened.

On the other hand, when the plurality of electromagnetic wave irradiation units 11 irradiate the electromagnetic waves 13 toward different regions of the water 102, the sum of the regions irradiated with the electromagnetic waves 13 from the respective electromagnetic wave irradiation units 11 is calculated from the single electromagnetic wave irradiation unit 11. It becomes wider than the region irradiated with the electromagnetic wave 13. Therefore, the water 102 can be heated over a wide range.

Further, in the heating device 10, a protective member for protecting the electromagnetic wave irradiation unit 11 may be provided so that the electromagnetic wave irradiation unit 11 is not damaged when the object 100 is placed on the support base 12. However, when a protective member is provided, the electromagnetic wave 13 is irradiated to the water 102 via the protective member. Therefore, the protective member is preferably transparent to the electromagnetic wave 13.

Further, the heating device 10 may include a sensor that detects that the object 100 is placed on the support base 12. In this case, the heating device 10 is configured so that the electromagnetic wave irradiation unit 11 can irradiate the electromagnetic wave 13 only when the sensor 100 detects that the object 100 is placed on the support base 12. Is done. As a specific example of the sensor, a contact sensor provided on the surface of the support 12 on which the object 100 is placed can be cited.

With this configuration, when the object 100 is not placed on the support base 12, the possibility that the electromagnetic wave 13 is irradiated from the electromagnetic wave irradiation unit 11 due to malfunction or the like is reduced. Therefore, useless consumption of energy can be suppressed.

In the frequency range of 0.05 THz or more and 5 THz or less, the absorption coefficient of the ice 101 with respect to the electromagnetic wave 13 increases as the frequency of the electromagnetic wave 13 increases. That is, the energy absorbed by the ice 101 from the electromagnetic wave 13 increases. For this reason, the frequency of the electromagnetic wave 13 optimal for heating the water 102 without melting the ice 101 varies depending on the thickness of the ice 101.

For this reason, the heating device 10 may include a frequency adjustment mechanism that adjusts the frequency of the electromagnetic wave 13. For example, the frequency adjustment mechanism may receive an input from a user who uses the heating device 10 with respect to the frequency of the electromagnetic wave 13 and adjust the frequency of the electromagnetic wave 13 to the input frequency. Alternatively, the frequency adjustment mechanism may receive an input from the user regarding the thickness of the ice 101 included in the object 100 and adjust the frequency of the electromagnetic wave 13 based on the input thickness of the ice 101. Good. In this case, the frequency adjustment mechanism sets the frequency of the electromagnetic wave 13 lower as the input ice 101 is thicker.

For example, when the electromagnetic wave 13 is irradiated through the ice 101 having a thickness of 5 mm, an appropriate frequency of the electromagnetic wave 13 is considered to be 0.2 THz or less at which the electromagnetic wave 13 transmits 90% or more of ice. Further, if the user can select the thickness of the ice 101, it is preferable to select an appropriate thickness according to the frequency of the electromagnetic wave 13.

Further, the heating device 10 has a configuration in which the electromagnetic wave irradiation unit 11 is embedded in the support base 12. However, the heating device according to one embodiment of the present invention may include an electromagnetic wave irradiation unit configured in a pen shape. The electromagnetic wave irradiation unit is configured to be irradiated with electromagnetic waves from the tip of the pen. In this case, the user can irradiate the object with an electromagnetic wave from an arbitrary position and direction by holding the heating device with a hand or the like. In addition, the user can easily carry and use the heating device.

An example of how to use the heating device 10 will be described below. However, the utilization method of the present invention is not limited to the following examples. The heating apparatus 10 can be used as a cooking utensil, for example. A specific example of this application will be described later as another embodiment. In addition, the heating method of the present embodiment can be used for a solid material in which a liquid such as soup is contained in ice having a size of several mm to several cm. Thereby, the inside soup can be heated without melting the outside ice (while maintaining the ice that contains the soup). In this case, a dish can be provided in which the outside is cold ice and the inside is hot soup. In this case, the ice may be one piece or plural pieces.

[Embodiment 2]
The following will describe another embodiment of the present invention with reference to FIG. In the present embodiment, in addition to the configuration of the heating device 10, a heating device having a cold insulation unit will be described. For convenience of explanation, members having the same functions as those described in the above embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals and description thereof is omitted.

FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of the heating device 20 according to the present embodiment. As shown in FIG. 4, similarly to the heating device 10, the heating device 20 includes the electromagnetic wave irradiation unit 11 that irradiates the electromagnetic wave 13 through the ice 101 toward the water 102, and the object 100 including the ice 101 and the water 102. And a support base 12 for supporting. The heating device 20 further includes a cold insulation unit 21.

The cold insulation unit 21 is a member for keeping the ice 101 cold. The heating device 20 heats the water 102 by the electromagnetic wave 13 while keeping the ice 101 cold by the cold insulation unit 21. Here, the cold insulation unit 21 surrounds the ice 101. The structure of the cold insulation part 21 will not be specifically limited if the temperature rise of the ice 101 can be suppressed.

For example, the cold insulation unit 21 may cool the ice 101. In this case, an example of a specific configuration of the cold insulation unit 21 includes a container that can store a cold insulation agent therein. Moreover, the structure which can maintain below the freezing point electrically using the Peltier device etc. may be sufficient as the cold insulation part 21. FIG.

Further, the cold insulation unit 21 may be configured to suppress the inflow of heat from the outside to the ice 101. In this case, an example of a specific configuration of the cold insulation unit 21 includes a vacuum insulation container.

In the heating device 20 shown in FIG. 4, the cold insulation unit 21 is arranged on the side surface of the ice 101. However, the position where the cold insulation part 21 is arrange | positioned is not specifically limited. The cold insulation part 21 may be arrange | positioned at the upper part or the lower part of the ice 101, for example. Further, the cold insulation unit 21 may be arranged so as to surround the entire periphery of the ice 101 such as the upper part, the lower part, and the side surface of the ice 101.

However, it is preferable that the cold insulator 21 is arranged so as not to prevent the electromagnetic wave 13 from being irradiated toward the water 102. For example, it is conceivable to provide a hole in the region where the electromagnetic wave 13 passes in the cold insulator 21.

As described above, the electromagnetic wave 13 has a frequency that is not easily absorbed by the ice 101. However, it is impossible to completely prevent the ice 101 from being heated by the electromagnetic wave 13. The ice 101 also rises in temperature by absorbing heat from the external environment.

The heating device 20 includes a cold insulation unit 21 and keeps the ice 101 cold by the cold insulation unit. Specifically, the cold insulation unit 21 cools the ice 101 or suppresses the inflow of heat from the outside to the ice 101. Therefore, the heating device 20 can heat the water 102 while suppressing the melting of the ice 101.

[Embodiment 3]
The following will describe another embodiment of the present invention with reference to FIGS. In the present embodiment, a heating device including a container 31 instead of the support base 12 in the configuration of the heating device 10 will be described. The heating device according to the present embodiment is used as a cooking utensil. For convenience of explanation, members having the same functions as those described in the above embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals and description thereof is omitted.

FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of the heating device 30 according to the present embodiment. As shown in FIG. 5, the heating device 30 includes an electromagnetic wave irradiation unit 11 that irradiates an electromagnetic wave 13 and a container 31. The container 31 is a container that can hold a liquid. Further, the electromagnetic wave irradiation unit 11 irradiates the electromagnetic wave 13 to the inner region of the container 31.

When using the heating device 30, first, the soup 200 is put into the container 31. Here, soup is water in which an extract component or a nutrient component is dissolved.

Next, the container 31 is placed in a freezer and the soup 200 is frozen. At this time, freezing of the soup 200 above the container 31 is suppressed by a method such as freezing in a state where only the upper part of the container 31 is taken out of the freezer.

FIG. 6 is a schematic view showing an example of use of the heating device 30, and shows a state in which the soup 200 in the container 31 is partially frozen by the above method. According to the above method, as shown in FIG. 6, the soup 200 is frozen into ice 201 in the region other than the upper center portion of the container 31. On the other hand, in the upper center portion of the container 31, the liquid soup 202 exists without freezing.

At this time, the ice 201 contains almost no extract component and no nutrient component. Therefore, most of the extract component and the nutrient component dissolved in the soup 200 are dissolved in the soup 202 in a concentrated state.

When the electromagnetic wave 13 is irradiated from the electromagnetic wave irradiation unit 11 over the ice 201 to such a soup 202, the soup 202 can be brought into a high temperature state with almost no heating and melting of the ice 201. Therefore, a person who drinks soup 202 can drink soup 202 surrounded by ice 201 and heated.

Further, in the step of freezing the soup 200 in the container 31, the whole soup 200 may be frozen evenly without suppressing the freezing of the soup 200 above the container 31. However, freezing should be stopped before the entire soup 200 is completely frozen.

In this case, all the soup 200 located in the region other than the center in the container 31 is frozen to become ice 201. The soup 202 in the liquid state is present in the central region in the container 31 with the entire surrounding area surrounded by the ice 201.

When drinking such a soup 202, it is conceivable to make a hole in the upper part of the ice 201 and drink it. In this case, the timing at which the soup 202 is heated by the heating device 30 may be after the ice 201 is made a hole or before the ice 201 is made a hole. In any case, a person who drinks soup 202 can drink hot soup 202 surrounded by ice 201.

In addition, when the soup 202 is heated before making a hole in the ice 201, if a person who drinks the heated soup 202 makes a hole in the upper part of the ice 201, the hot soup concentrated in the ice 201 to a high concentration. 202 will come out. Thereby, it is possible to provide a surprise or uplifting feeling to a person who drinks the soup 202.

Further, the heating device 30 may heat the soup 202 while the person who drinks the soup 202 is drinking the soup 202. In that case, the soup 202 is always maintained in a high temperature state even though the soup 202 is surrounded by the ice 201.

Alternatively, water may be added to the frozen soup 202 (ice 201) and then heated by the heating device 30. A dent may be made in the frozen soup 202, and water may be added to the dent. In this case, the portion in contact with the water is melted by heating the water with the heating device 30. Thereby, the frozen soup can be partially melted.

[Embodiment 4]
The following will describe another embodiment of the present invention with reference to FIG. The heating apparatus according to the present embodiment includes an optical system that focuses an electromagnetic wave irradiated to an object on a part of the object. For convenience of explanation, members having the same functions as those described in the above embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals and description thereof is omitted.

FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of the heating device 40 according to the present embodiment. As shown in FIG. 7, the heating device 40 includes an electromagnetic wave irradiation unit 11, a support base 12, and an optical system 41. The optical system 41 is an optical system that focuses the electromagnetic wave 13 onto a part of the object 100. By providing the optical system 41, the heating device 40 can locally heat only a part of the water 102 included in the object 100.

As described above, the frequency of the electromagnetic wave 13 is in the range of 0.05 THz or more and 5 THz or less. In general, when focusing an electromagnetic wave, it can be focused to the same order as the wavelength of the electromagnetic wave at the focal position. For example, if the electromagnetic wave has a frequency of 0.1 THz, that is, a wavelength of 3 mm, it can be focused to a diameter of several millimeters.

An example of the use of the heating device 40 is to process the inside of the ice 101. An example of the processing procedure will be described below.

First, (i) the heating device 40 focuses the electromagnetic wave 13 on a part of the object 100 by the optical system 41 and heats a part of the water 102. Then, the part of the ice 101 that contacts the heated area of the water 102 melts.

Next, (ii) the position where the electromagnetic wave 13 is focused on the region where the water 102 exists is changed. The above change may be realized, for example, by moving the ice 101 on the support base 12. Further, when the optical system 41 has a function of moving the position where the electromagnetic wave 13 is focused, the above change may be realized by the function. The heating device 40 may change the position at which the electromagnetic wave 13 is focused by changing the position or orientation of an optical element (lens, mirror, prism, or the like) included in the optical system 41.

By repeating the above (i) and (ii), a region where the ice 101 is melted in an arbitrary shape can be formed inside the ice 101.

(Modification 1)
A modification of this embodiment will be described below. In the present modification, the object 100a is composed only of ice 101 (see FIG. 1 and the like) at the start of heating. In this case, the frequency of the electromagnetic wave 13 may be selected from a range that is absorbed by the ice 101 and has a higher water absorption coefficient than the ice absorption coefficient.

When the electromagnetic wave 13 is focused on the object 100a made only of the ice 101, the energy density of the electromagnetic wave 13 increases near the focal position, and the temperature of the ice 101 increases. For example, if it is irradiated for a long time until it exceeds the melting heat of ice (333.5 J / cm ³ ), the ice 101 can be melted. When a part of the object 100a melts and becomes the water 102 (see FIG. 1 and the like) from the ice 101, the electromagnetic wave 13 is absorbed more strongly in that part as shown in FIGS. Therefore, if the electromagnetic wave 13 is continuously collected with respect to the internal water 102, the internal water 102 can be heated rapidly, and the ice 101 of the outer peripheral part of the water 102 can be melted from the inside.

The electromagnetic wave 13, the optical system 41, and the target object 100 a may remain fixed in relative positions, or may relatively change the position irradiated with the electromagnetic wave 13 as described above. Further, if a beam expander is incorporated in the optical system 41, for example, this can be adjusted to change the degree of condensing of the electromagnetic wave 13. By changing the degree of condensing, the energy density in the range in which the electromagnetic wave 13 converges (condensing part) and the range within the object 100a through which the electromagnetic wave 13 reaches the condensing part changes. Therefore, the energy distribution given to the object 100a by the electromagnetic wave can be changed by changing the light collection degree. By these methods, the object 100a can be dissolved evenly.

When a part of the object 100a melts and changes phase from the ice 101 to the water 102, the electromagnetic wave 13 is absorbed at the interface between the water 102 and the ice 101 and cannot enter the water 102 for longer than the wavelength of the electromagnetic wave 13. . Therefore, in the process in which a part of the object 100a undergoes a phase change from the ice 101 to the water 102, if the thickness of the water 102 in the direction parallel to the traveling direction of the electromagnetic wave 13 becomes equal to or greater than the wavelength, the position of the condensing part of the electromagnetic wave 13 Is shifted to the interface between the water 102 and the ice 101 along the thickness direction, the distance (thickness) from the surface of the object 100a to the water 102 can be shortened more quickly.

Since ice has a density lower than that of water, the phase of water 102 generated in the ice 101 becomes negative pressure and is difficult to melt. However, when a passage of water 102 is formed in the ice 101 and the water 102 can come into contact with the outside (atmosphere), the volume of the water 102 is not limited to the region where the phase has changed from the ice 101. Therefore, the phase of the water 102 becomes a positive pressure, and the object 100a is easily dissolved. Further, the ice 101 of the object 100a can be easily melted by increasing the area of the interface between the water 102 and the ice 101.

As described above, the case where the object 100a is only the ice 101 at the start of heating has been mainly described. However, even if the object 100a is a frozen body such as a frozen food or a frozen sample, the frozen portion is liquidized by the same method. The phase can be changed. Examples of the frozen sample include those used in the medical / bio field such as sperm for artificial insemination, organ for transplantation, DNA, RNA, or bacteria. In particular, in the case of frozen foods, frozen measurement samples, and the like, if there is a gap or the like inside the object 100a, the part is more easily melted than other parts, so that the object 100a can be easily warmed from the inside.

Thus, when the object 100a is a frozen food, the problem that the inside is not thawed or cold, or the outside is not too hot or denatured by heat, the food is satisfied with the user. Can be provided. Alternatively, the frozen sample can be thawed in a short time without the outer peripheral portion being altered by heat, and accurate measurement and appropriate utilization can be made.

(Modification 2)
Another modification of the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. For convenience of explanation, members having the same functions as those described in the above embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals and description thereof is omitted.

FIG. 8 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of the heating device 40a of this modification and the object 100a heated by the heating device 40a. As shown in FIG. 8, the heating device 40a of the present modification includes a first electromagnetic wave irradiation unit 11a (electromagnetic wave source), a second electromagnetic wave irradiation unit 11b (second electromagnetic wave source), and a support base 12a. The support base 12a is the same as the support base 12 except that the electromagnetic wave irradiation unit 11 (see FIG. 1) is not embedded. The object 100a is a frozen food, for example, and is a frozen body that is frozen at the start of heating.

The first electromagnetic wave irradiation unit 11a and the second electromagnetic wave irradiation unit 11b generate a first electromagnetic wave 13a (electromagnetic wave) and a second electromagnetic wave 13b, respectively. The first electromagnetic wave irradiation unit 11a and the second electromagnetic wave irradiation unit 11b may be provided so as to face each other as shown in FIG. 8, or may be adjacent to each other.

The wavelength (frequency) of the first electromagnetic wave 13a may be the same as the frequency of the electromagnetic wave 13 described above. On the other hand, the second electromagnetic wave 13b is an electromagnetic wave having a frequency different from that of the first electromagnetic wave 13a. For example, a microwave having a frequency of 2.4 GHz or more and 2.5 GHz or less may be used as the second electromagnetic wave 13b. Alternatively, a 900 MHz band microwave may be used as the second electromagnetic wave 13b. These frequency bands are included in an ISM (Industry Science Medical) band, and are electromagnetic wave frequency bands used for heating in a conventional microwave oven.

As suggested from FIG. 3, the microwave used in the conventional microwave oven is not absorbed by ice frozen pure water. However, the microwave is absorbed by water containing salt and the like. Thereby, the conventional microwave oven can warm frozen food. However, heating by a conventional microwave oven has a problem that the frozen food is warmed from the outer periphery, and the inside remains cold.

In the heating device 40a of this modification, first, a part of the frozen body constituting the object 100a is changed to a liquid by irradiating the object 100a with the first electromagnetic wave 13a from the first electromagnetic wave irradiation unit 11a. And the liquid is heated. After a certain period of time after the start of heating by the first electromagnetic wave 13a, the outer frozen body is heated and thawed by irradiating the object 100a with the second electromagnetic wave 13b from the second electromagnetic wave irradiation unit 11b. . That is, by heating the central part of the object 100a with the first electromagnetic wave 13a and heating the frozen body at the outer peripheral part with the second electromagnetic wave 13b, the inside and the outer peripheral part of the object 100a can be heated evenly. it can. Moreover, if the energy given to the object 100a of the second electromagnetic wave 13b is larger than the energy given to the liquid of the first electromagnetic wave 13a, the entire object 100a can be heated faster than the first modification.

In addition, when irradiating the 1st electromagnetic wave 13a and the 2nd electromagnetic wave 13b simultaneously, if the surface of the frozen body in the outer peripheral part of the target object 100a melts | dissolves by the 2nd electromagnetic wave 13b, the 1st electromagnetic wave 13a will be objected. It is absorbed by the surface of the object 100a and cannot warm the inside. In the modification 2, the outer periphery and the inside of the target object 100a can be warmed uniformly by irradiating the first electromagnetic wave 13a first and then the second electromagnetic wave 13b.

The heating operation by the second electromagnetic wave 13b is the same as the heating operation by a commercially available microwave oven or the like. That is, the heating device 40a according to the present modification may be considered to have a function of heating a central portion of the object 100a with the first electromagnetic wave 13a in a commercially available microwave oven.

The timing at which heating by the second electromagnetic wave 13b is started depends on the size of the object 100a and the ratio of energy applied to the object 100a by the first electromagnetic wave 13a and the second electromagnetic wave 13b. And then decide.

If the heating by the first electromagnetic wave 13a is continued after the heating by the second electromagnetic wave 13b is started, the first electromagnetic wave 13a is absorbed by the moisture on the surface of the object 100a, so that the surface of the object 100a is burnt. Can do. When it is not desired to change the surface due to burning or the like, the heating by the first electromagnetic wave 13a may be stopped after the heating by the second electromagnetic wave 13b is started.

As mentioned above, although the case where the target object 100a was only ice at the time of a heating start was mainly demonstrated, even if the target object 100a is a frozen food, a frozen sample, etc. similarly to the above-mentioned modification 1, the same method is used. be able to.

[Embodiment 5]
The following will describe another embodiment of the present invention with reference to FIG. In the heating device 50a of the present embodiment, the state of the object 100a is determined by the electromagnetic wave 14 (third electromagnetic wave) reflected by the object 100a (the liquid inside the frozen body contained in the object 100a is Evaluated).

FIG. 9 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of the heating device 50a according to the present embodiment and the object 100a heated by the heating device 50a. As shown in FIG. 9, the heating apparatus 50a of this embodiment includes a container 31a that houses the object 100a, an electromagnetic wave irradiation unit 11 that irradiates the object 100a with the electromagnetic wave 13, and an electromagnetic wave 14 reflected by the object 100a. And a control unit 53a (determination unit, control unit).

The control unit 53a determines the state of the object 100a based on the intensity of the electromagnetic wave detected by the detector 51. In addition, the control unit 53a controls the operation of the electromagnetic wave irradiation unit 11 based on the determined state of the object 100a. The control unit 53a may be realized by a logic circuit (hardware) formed in an integrated circuit (IC chip) or the like, or may be realized by software using a CPU (Central Processing Unit).

The determination of the state of the object 100a by the control unit 53a will be described below. When a liquid is present in the object 100a, the electromagnetic wave 13 incident on the object 100a is reflected on the surface of the frozen body (or the interface between the frozen body and the container 31a) and the interface between the frozen body and the liquid. For this reason, the electromagnetic wave 14 is a superposition of two reflected waves, and is a wave that interferes inside the frozen body. Therefore, it is possible to determine whether or not liquid exists in the object 100a based on the presence or absence of interference fringes. Further, the thickness of the frozen body from the surface of the object 100a to the liquid can be determined from the interval between the interference fringes.

Further, the control unit 53a may calculate the absorption coefficient of the electromagnetic wave 13. When the frozen body is not supercooled, the absorption coefficient of the electromagnetic wave 13 increases as the temperature rises, that is, as the heating time elapses. On the other hand, when the frozen body is in a supercooled state, the change in the absorption coefficient of the electromagnetic wave 13 with the passage of the heating time becomes small. Therefore, the control part 53a can determine the state of whether the frozen body is overheated from the change in the absorption coefficient.

9, the detector 51 detects the reflected wave of the electromagnetic wave 13. However, in the heating device 50a of the present embodiment, the detector 51 may detect an electromagnetic wave that has passed through the object 100a or an electromagnetic wave that has been scattered by the object 100a.

For example, when the detector 51 detects an electromagnetic wave transmitted through the object 100a, the electromagnetic wave 13 can pass through the object 100a when the object 100a is only a frozen body. However, when a part of the frozen body changes to a liquid, the absorption rate of the electromagnetic wave 13 by the object 100a increases. Therefore, when a liquid is present in the object 100a, the intensity of the electromagnetic wave detected by the detector 51 is weakened as much as the electromagnetic wave 13 is absorbed by the liquid. Thereby, the control part 53a can determine the state of whether the liquid exists in the inside of the target object 100a.

When the amount of liquid inside the object 100a is sufficiently small, it is possible to detect a transmitted wave that has passed through the object 100a. In this case, there is interference fringes between the electromagnetic wave that has been transmitted through the object 100a without being reflected in the middle and the electromagnetic wave that has been reflected twice at the surface (interface) on the emission side of the object 100a and the interface between the frozen body and the liquid. appear. For this reason, the control part 53a can determine the thickness of a frozen body similarly to the case where the detector 51 detects a reflected wave. Further, when the freezing of the liquid isotropically proceeds from the electromagnetic wave condensing unit in the object 100a, the change in the volume of the liquid in the object 100b, that is, the frozen body is changed using the change in the thickness of the frozen body. The rate of melting can also be detected. Further, if there is no liquid in the object 100a, the electromagnetic wave that has passed through the object 100a without being reflected in the middle, and the surface (interface) on the emission side and the surface (interface) on the incident side of the object 100a. Interference fringes with electromagnetic waves reflected twice occur. From the distance between the interference fringes, the thickness of the object 100a can be measured.

In the heating device 50a, as described in the fourth embodiment, the electromagnetic wave 13 is focused, and the detection intensity of the electromagnetic wave 14 is increased when the focal position is on the surface of the frozen body or the interface between the frozen body and the liquid. An optical system including a lens movable part may be configured. According to said structure, the change of the thickness of a frozen body is detectable by moving the focus position of the electromagnetic wave 13 with a lens movable part, and detecting the focus position where the intensity | strength of the electromagnetic wave 14 becomes strong. Further, the above optical system may be an optical system using an astigmatism method or a knife edge method, or may be a confocal optical system.

These methods can be used to calculate the speed at which the object 100a is thawed by heating by measuring the change in the thickness of the frozen body.

The control unit 53a controls the electromagnetic wave irradiation unit 11 based on these determination results. Specifically, the increase / decrease in the intensity of the electromagnetic wave 13 or the time width of the pulse wave (the time during which the electromagnetic wave is irradiated) is optimized. For example, when the thawing speed of the target is faster than a desired speed, the control unit 53a decreases the intensity of the electromagnetic wave 13 or shortens the time width of the pulse wave.

In addition, in the irradiation step of irradiating the object 100 a with the electromagnetic wave 13, the control unit 53 a converts the energy per unit time that the electromagnetic wave gives to the object when the detector 51 detects the intensity of the electromagnetic wave 14. The electromagnetic wave irradiation unit 11 may be controlled so that the electromagnetic wave 13 is less than the energy per unit time given to the object in the irradiation process other than when detecting the. As a method for reducing the energy given to the object by the electromagnetic wave 13, the intensity of the electromagnetic wave 13 can be reduced. Further, when the electromagnetic wave 13 is a pulse wave, the time width of the pulse wave may be reduced. That is, the control unit 53a may change the average output per unit time of the electromagnetic wave irradiation unit 11 depending on whether or not it is the period for detecting the electromagnetic wave 14. Thereby, when the electromagnetic wave 14 is detected, the influence of the electromagnetic wave 13 on the object 100a is reduced, and the intensity of the electromagnetic wave 14 detected by the detector 51 is stabilized.

In the heating device 50a shown in FIG. 9, the control unit 53a controls the electromagnetic wave irradiation unit 11. However, the heating device according to the present embodiment includes a display unit that displays information about the speed at which the object 100a freezes and whether the liquid is overheated from the above measurement results, and a switch that controls the electromagnetic wave irradiation unit 11. You may have. In this case, based on the information displayed on the display unit, the user of the heating device can turn on / off the power of the heating device 50a or adjust the intensity of the electromagnetic wave 13 to perform desired thawing.

(Modification)
Another embodiment of the heating apparatus according to this embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. The heating device 50b of the present modification is a device that heats a frozen body in the process of freezing the liquid.

FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of the heating device 50b according to this modification and the object 100b heated by the heating device 50b. As shown in FIG. 10, the heating device 50b includes a cooling unit 52 in addition to the configuration of the heating device 50a, and includes a control unit 53b instead of the control unit 53a.

The object 100b is a liquid. The cooling unit 52 cools and freezes the object 100b. The control unit 53 b controls the electromagnetic wave irradiation unit 11 and the cooling unit 52. Similarly to the control unit 53a, the control unit 53b may be realized by a logic circuit formed in an integrated circuit or the like, or may be realized by software using a CPU.

In general, when freezing a liquid, there is a problem that the cell tissue of the food and the tissue of the sample are destroyed due to the ice becoming cloudy due to bubbles or the like and the growth of coarse crystals of ice. Patent Documents 3 and 4 describe that it is necessary to spend a slow time in order to solve the above problems and to make transparent ice.

The heating device 50b of the present modification is a heating device that uses the electromagnetic wave 13 to heat while determining whether the object 100b is cooled and frozen, and determining whether the liquid is supercooled or not. Disclose.

When freezing the liquid, in the initial state in which the liquid is put, the temperature of the container 31a is the lowest, and the freezing starts from the portion of the liquid in contact with the container 31a. Then, the outer peripheral part of the target object 100b freezes and becomes a frozen body, and the inside remains in a liquid state. By irradiating such an object 100b with the electromagnetic wave 13 and detecting a transmitted wave, reflected wave, scattered wave or the like from the interface between the frozen body and the liquid by the detector 51, the control unit 53b The state of the object 100b in the process of freezing the object 100b can be determined.

In the cooling process of the object 100b, the state determination by the control unit 53b is substantially the same as the state determination by the control unit 53a. However, depending on the frequency of the electromagnetic wave 13, the control unit 53b may also determine whether or not the liquid is in a supercooled state. When the liquid is not supercooled, the absorption coefficient of the electromagnetic wave 13 decreases as the liquid temperature decreases. On the other hand, when the liquid is in a supercooled state, the absorption coefficient of the electromagnetic wave 13 becomes substantially constant depending on the frequency of the electromagnetic wave 13 even if the temperature of the liquid is lowered. A specific frequency of the electromagnetic wave 13 suitable for determining whether or not the liquid is in a supercooled state (when the liquid is in a supercooled state, the absorption coefficient is substantially constant even if the temperature of the liquid decreases. For the frequency), the manufacturer of the heating device 50b may confirm the absorption coefficient of the electromagnetic wave 13 while cooling the liquid in advance.

In the course of cooling the object 100b, when a coarse crystal of ice is generated on the frozen body, the interface between the frozen body and the liquid has irregularities with the size of the coarse crystal. For this reason, the electromagnetic wave 13 is strongly scattered at the interface. Using this scattered wave, the unevenness of the interface can be measured to determine the crystal state of the frozen body.

The electromagnetic wave 13 can heat the liquid as described in the first to fourth embodiments. The control unit 53b controls the interface temperature between the frozen body and the liquid in the cooling process of the object by controlling the cooling rate of the object 100b from the outside by the cooling unit 52 and the heating rate of the electromagnetic wave 13, Generation of bubbles can be suppressed. Further, when it is detected that a coarse crystal is growing on a part of the frozen body, before the cell wall of the cell included in the object 100b is destroyed by the coarse crystal, the electromagnetic wave 13 surrounds the coarse crystal. And the coarse crystals can be dissolved.

This makes it possible to create a transparent frozen body without freezing the object 100b with air bubbles inside. Alternatively, since the frozen body does not contain coarse crystals of ice, food and sample cells are not destroyed, and a food and sample equivalent to those before freezing can be obtained by reducing drip at the time of thawing.

[Summary]
A heating device (such as 10) according to aspect 1 of the present invention is a heating device that includes an electromagnetic wave source (electromagnetic wave irradiation unit 11) that generates an electromagnetic wave (13) and heats an object (such as 100) with the electromagnetic wave. The frequency of the electromagnetic wave is 0.05 THz or more and 5 THz or less, and the inside of the frozen body is heated by irradiating the object with at least a part of the electromagnetic wave being the frozen body (ice 101).

According to the above configuration, an electromagnetic wave having a frequency of 0.05 THz or more and 5 THz or less is irradiated to an object that is at least partially frozen. The electromagnetic wave in this frequency range has a remarkably high absorption coefficient of the liquid in which the frozen body is melted compared to the absorption coefficient of the frozen body. Therefore, by irradiating the object with electromagnetic waves, the liquid existing inside the frozen body can be heated while maintaining the frozen state of the frozen body.

In the heating device according to aspect 2 of the present invention, in the above aspect 1, the frozen body is preferably ice.

The heating device of the present invention can be suitably used for heating an object whose frozen body is ice.

The heating apparatus according to Aspect 3 of the present invention is the heating apparatus according to Aspect 2, wherein the object has water inside the ice and irradiates the water with the electromagnetic wave through the ice. It is preferable to heat the water inside the body.

The above electromagnetic wave has a higher water absorption coefficient than ice absorption coefficient. Therefore, the inside of the frozen body can be efficiently heated by irradiating the electromagnetic waves to the water through the ice.

In the heating device according to aspect 4 of the present invention, in any of the above aspects 1 to 3, the frequency of the electromagnetic wave is preferably 0.05 THz or more and 1 THz or less.

According to the above configuration, the absorption coefficient of ice for the electromagnetic wave is smaller than 1/50 of the absorption coefficient of water for the electromagnetic wave. In this case, when the electromagnetic wave is irradiated on ice having the same thickness as the water that absorbs 99% of the electromagnetic wave energy, the electromagnetic wave is absorbed by the ice only by 10% or less. Therefore, the electromagnetic waves are more easily transmitted through ice and more easily absorbed by water, and can heat water more efficiently.

The heating device according to aspect 5 of the present invention includes the optical system (41) for focusing electromagnetic waves in any one of the above aspects 1 to 4, and can focus the electromagnetic waves inside the frozen body by the optical system. preferable.

According to the above configuration, it is possible to heat efficiently by concentrating electromagnetic wave energy inside the frozen body.

A heating device according to aspect 6 of the present invention is the second electromagnetic wave source that generates the second electromagnetic wave (13b) having a frequency different from that of the electromagnetic wave (first electromagnetic wave 13a) in any of the above aspects 1 to 5. (Second electromagnetic wave irradiation unit 11b) is further provided, and the object is preferably heated using the electromagnetic wave and the second electromagnetic wave.

According to the above configuration, by using the electromagnetic wave and the second electromagnetic wave, when the object is heated, uniform heating can be quickly performed without causing the object to be warm while the object is cold.

The heating device according to aspect 7 of the present invention includes the cooling unit (52) that cools the object in any one of the above-described aspects 1 to 6, and cools the object (100b) by the cooling unit. It is preferable to heat the inside of the frozen body with electromagnetic waves.

According to the above configuration, by heating the object with electromagnetic waves while cooling the object by the cooling unit, it is possible to control the interface temperature between the frozen body and the liquid in the cooling process of the object and suppress the generation of bubbles. . In addition, when the generation of coarse crystals is detected, the crystals can be heated and dissolved.

The heating device according to aspect 8 of the present invention is the heating apparatus according to any one of aspects 1 to 7, wherein the intensity of the third electromagnetic wave (electromagnetic wave 14), which is the electromagnetic wave reflected, transmitted, or scattered by the object, is increased. It is preferable to include a detector (51) to detect and a determination unit (control units 53a and 53b) that determines the state of the object based on the intensity detected by the detector.

According to said structure, a heating apparatus detects the intensity | strength of the 3rd electromagnetic wave which is the electromagnetic wave reflected, permeate | transmitted or scattered by the target object with a detector, and based on the detected said intensity | strength, a determination part performs target object. Can be determined. Specifically, for example, it is possible to detect the heating speed of the object or whether or not the object is in an overheated state.

It is preferable that the heating device according to aspect 9 of the present invention further includes a control unit that controls the operation of the electromagnetic wave source based on the state of the object determined by the determination unit in the above-described aspect 8.

According to the above configuration, the control unit can control the operation of the electromagnetic wave source, for example, the heating rate of the object, based on the intensity of the electromagnetic wave detected by the detector.

In the heating device according to aspect 10 of the present invention, in the aspect 9, when the control unit detects the intensity of the third electromagnetic wave by the detector in the irradiation step of irradiating the object with the electromagnetic wave. It is preferable to control the electromagnetic wave source so that the energy that the electromagnetic wave gives to the object is smaller than the energy that the electromagnetic wave gives to the object in the irradiation step other than when the third electromagnetic wave is detected.

According to the above configuration, when the third electromagnetic wave is detected in the irradiation step, the influence of the electromagnetic wave on the object is reduced, and the intensity of the third electromagnetic wave detected by the detector is stabilized.

A heating method according to aspect 11 of the present invention is a heating method in which an object is heated by electromagnetic waves, and the frequency of the electromagnetic waves is 0.05 THz or more and 5 THz or less, and at least a part of the electromagnetic waves is frozen. The target object is irradiated and the inside of the frozen body is heated.

According to the above configuration, the same effect as in the first aspect is obtained.

The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications are possible within the scope shown in the claims, and embodiments obtained by appropriately combining technical means disclosed in different embodiments. Is also included in the technical scope of the present invention. Furthermore, a new technical feature can be formed by combining the technical means disclosed in each embodiment.

10, 20, 30, 40, 40a, 50a, 50b Heating device 11 Electromagnetic wave irradiation unit (electromagnetic wave source)
11a 1st electromagnetic wave irradiation part (electromagnetic wave source)
11b 2nd electromagnetic wave irradiation part (2nd electromagnetic wave source)
13 Electromagnetic wave 13a First electromagnetic wave (electromagnetic wave)
13b Second electromagnetic wave 14 Electromagnetic wave (third electromagnetic wave)
41 Optical system 51 Detector 52 Cooling unit 53a, 53b Control unit (determination unit, control unit)
100, 100a, 100b Object 101 Ice (frozen)

Claims (9)

It has an electromagnetic wave source that generates electromagnetic waves,
A heating device for heating an object by the electromagnetic wave,
The frequency of the electromagnetic wave is 0.05 THz or more and 5 THz or less,
A heating apparatus characterized by irradiating an object of which at least a part is a frozen body with the electromagnetic wave and heating the inside of the frozen body. An optical system for focusing the electromagnetic wave,
The heating apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the electromagnetic wave is focused inside the frozen body by the optical system. A second electromagnetic wave source for generating a second electromagnetic wave having a frequency different from the frequency of the electromagnetic wave,
The heating apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the object is heated using the electromagnetic wave and the second electromagnetic wave. A cooling unit for cooling the object;
The heating apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the object is cooled by the cooling unit and the inside of the frozen body is heated by the electromagnetic wave. A detector for detecting the intensity of a third electromagnetic wave, which is an electromagnetic wave reflected, transmitted, or scattered by the object;
The heating apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising: a determination unit that determines a state of the object based on the intensity detected by the detector. The heating apparatus according to claim 5, further comprising a control unit that controls the operation of the electromagnetic wave source based on the state of the object determined by the determination unit. In the irradiation step of irradiating the object with the electromagnetic wave, the control unit determines the energy per unit time that the electromagnetic wave gives to the object when the intensity of the third electromagnetic wave is detected by the detector. The heating according to claim 6, wherein the electromagnetic wave source is controlled so that the electromagnetic wave is less than the energy per unit time given to the object in the irradiation step other than when the third electromagnetic wave is detected. apparatus. The heating device according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the frequency of the electromagnetic wave is 0.05 THz or more and 1 THz or less. A heating method for heating an object by electromagnetic waves,
The frequency of the electromagnetic wave is 0.05 THz or more and 5 THz or less,
A heating method characterized by irradiating a target object, at least part of which is a frozen body, with the electromagnetic wave, and heating the interior of the frozen body.

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