Design of a Low-Cost Wireless Power and Data Communication System for a Small-Scale Vacuum Oven

Vacuum drying is an effective method for food preservation that maintains high product quality, but its adoption is limited by the high cost of commercial equipment and the engineering challenges of creating reliable vacuum seals around wired components. This study presents the systematic design of a low-cost, wireless-powered vacuum oven that eliminates the need for physical wire feedthroughs. Following the VDI 2221 design guideline, several design concepts were developed and evaluated using a technical value analysis to select the optimal solution. The selected design features a fully contactless system, employing inductive Wireless Power Transfer (WPT) for internal electronics and bidirectional radio frequency communication for data transfer. A power budget analysis showed that the WPT system can deliver 22.5 W to the internal components, far exceeding their estimated maximum demand of 1.65 W. Furthermore, a cost analysis of the essential electronic components resulted in an estimated total of approximately $158 USD. The results demonstrate that the proposed design has a significant power safety margin and is economically feasible.