"Resonance frequency, Q-factor, coupling of a cylindrical cavity and the effect on graphite from an alternating electric field".

Abstract: The purpose of this project was to investigate a cylindrical cavity resonator and use microwaves to heat up a material in the cavity. This was done by measuring the Q-factor and the resonance frequency of the cavity, both with and without material inside. The chosen material was graphite, and more accurate measurements were done with that specific material. A program called QZero was used to export the Q-factor and the resonance frequency from the measurement data received from a VNA and the program also gave error estimations. Then electromagnetic simulations were done using Comsol. Both an empty cavity and a cavity where graphite has been inserted were simulated and the results were compared to the actual measurements. To measure temperatures inside the cavity, a pyrometer was to be used. The cavity resonator has small circular holes through the side, and a frame was designed and produced using a 3D-printer in order to lock the pyrometer in place in front of one of the holes. A power supply was also installed to the pyrometer. In order to send microwaves into the cavity, a signal generator was used. It was connected to an amplifier and the amplification as well as the efficiency was noted. The pyrometer could only measure temperatures above 490 $\degree$C. This was not achieved, so a handheld electrical thermometer was used. The temperature of the graphite was measured and then compared to how hot the graphite would be without heat loss. For the empty cavity, a Q-factor of 3200 for the resonance frequency of around 2.4 GHz was measured, which matched the simulated measurements in Comsol. When graphite was inserted to the cavity, the Q-factor lowered to 300 in the real experiment. A discrepancy was found between the actual measurements, and the Comsol simulations in which the graphite only lowered the Q-factor to 2570. The reason for this is believed to be either with an error to how the material was chosen in Comsol, since there were many types of graphite to select with many settings to change. Another reason could be an error with the setup itself due to the sheer complexity of the program.