Microwave reactors equipped with microwave absorbent as high-temperature
bed are effective for the pyrolysis reactions. The uniformity and
stability of temperature distribution on the microwave absorbent bed
surface is important to the microwave pyrolysis reactor especially in
the large-scale reactor. Herein, the temperature distribution on the SiC
microwave absorbent bed in a large-scale microwave pyrolysis reactor
without feeding was examined by both infrared thermography and
simulation. Considering the economics of using multiple low-power
magnetrons in large-scale reactor, the effect of the working magnetrons
location on the heating rate of bed surface and the COV of temperature
distribution was investigated. The results showed that more uniform and
stable temperature distribution of bed surface in the large-scale
reactor was obtained when the magnetrons located at the bottom of the
reactor were in use. This study provides guidance for the scale-up of
microwave-assisted pyrolysis reactor with multiple low-power magnetrons.