The quickest way to arrive at a capital budget estimate is to establish the total microwave power required for the application. This can be achieved relatively simply by understanding how each of the following applies to the process under question.

• heat of fusion
• sensible heat
• heat of vaporisation
• conduction losses
• convection losses
• radiation losses
• transmission losses
• impedance mismatch

Once a power value is determined, the following approximations can be used as a guide. The figures below are based upon the supply and installation of a microwave plant including generator, applicator, control system and materials handling services and are in US dollars.

• Drying(mechanically simple) - $2-$4K/kW

• Chemical - $3-$5K/kW

• General Heating (high materials handling component) - $3-$7K/kW

• Batch Processing - $2-$4K/kW

(Last updated - June2004)