A magnetron is the device that generates microwaves in a microwave oven. It can only run at one "speed". Microwaves achieve different power levels (usually in multiples of 10%) by cycling the magnetron off and on at different rates. Problem: The food may get overheated in small areas during the "on" cycle, for example causing chicken to "explode". To avoid this, you have to turn the power way down. For example, if you are cooking something that you can safely cook at full power in a 600W microwave, and you have a 1000W microwave, you may have to set the power at 50% to avoid trouble. In effect you are cooking it at 500W, so it takes longer. My idea is to have a microwave with two magnetrons, like the two filaments in a 3-way light bulb. For example, if you want full power to be 1000W, you would have a 300W and 700W magnetron. For full power, you would use both magnetrons together. For 300W you would use the 300W magnetron, for 700W you would use the 700W magnetron, and for the other power settings you would use either one magnetron in pulsed mode or one magnetron running continuously and the other in pulsed mode. This probably would also increase the life of the magnetrons, because it probably puts more stress on them to cycle them on and off than to run them continuously.
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You can to some degree, control the power to a Magnetron, it is just that conventional iron based power supplies that most microwaves use cannot control it that well. If more manufacturers were to switch to switch mode supplies, that degree of control could be implemented.
Probably technically doable, but magnetrons are the most expensive components in a microwave oven, so you're looking at a microwave at twice the price.
Just bought a "sensor cook" 1200 W microwave for $120, I don't have the problem of "hot spots."
I'm not an expert, but I think you would get even worse hotspots and coldspots due to the interference pattern of the two waves. Driving the magnetron with a variable power switch mode supply might work better.
-Nick
Nick is right. The microwaves bounce around the inside of the microwave in a seemingly random way and there's a lot of destructive interference. Two magnetrons probably wouldn't help much, even if mechanically tuned to avoid DI.
Standard microwaves do just turn on and off the magnetron for lower powers, but Panasonic has released a microwave with variable output, no more problem.
Standard microwaves do just turn on and off the magnetron for lower powers, but Panasonic has released a microwave with variable output, no more problem.