DIELECTRIC CONSTANT ESTIMATION DEVICE AND MICROWAVE HEATING APPARATUS PROVIDED WITH DIELECTRIC CONSTANT ESTIMATION DEVICE

摘要

In order to provide a dielectric constant estimation device whereby the dielectric constant of an object can be estimated with high precision without contact with the object even when the shape of the object is uncertain, and a microwave heating apparatus provided with the dielectric constant estimation device, a dielectric constant estimation device according to the present invention is configured so that a transmission antenna (4) and a reception antenna (6) are provided whereby the polarization of electromagnetic waves can be switched between TE waves and TM waves, a TM/TE reflection ratio is calculated on the basis of reflected TE waves and reflected TM waves from an object, the calculated TM/TE reflection ratio and dielectric constant data of theoretical values compiled as a database stored in advance in a memory unit (10) are compared, and the dielectric constant of the object is estimated.