Multi phase system for metal disc induction heating: modelling and RMS current control

This paper presents a multi phase induction system modelling for a metal disc heating and further industrial applications such as hot strip mill. An original architecture, with three concentric inductors supplied by three resonant current inverters leads to a reduced element system, without any coupling transformers, phase loop, mobile screens or mobile magnetic cores as it could be found in classical solutions. A simulation model is built, based on simplified equivalent models of electric and thermal phenomena. It takes into account data extracted from Flux2D® finite element software, concerning the energy transfer between the inductor currents and the piece to be heated. It is implemented in a versatile software PSim, initially dedicated to power electronic. An optimization procedure calculates the optimal supply currents in the inverters in order to obtain a desired power density profile in the work piece. The paper deals with The simulated and experimental results are compared in open-loop and closed loop. The paper ends with a current control method which sets RMS inductor currents in continuous and digital conditions

A flexible cooking zone composed of partially overlapped inductors

Domestic induction cookers are evolving from fixed cooking areas to flexible surfaces in such a way that the pot can be placed at any position. This implies the use of a larger number of reduced-sized inductors, which present a lower efficiency. As a solution to increase the efficiency while maintaining the flexibility, we propose the use of partially overlapped inductors of a larger size. This concept is currently in use in wireless power transfer systems, where the transmitter arrangement consists of several overlapped coils. The aim of this paper is to evaluate this concept applied to domestic induction heating appliances, with special emphasis in analyzing the effects of introducing the multicoil system with dissipative media. Moreover, the losses in the winding will be studied in detail. The system will be prototyped and tested, delivering up to 3.7 kW

Induction heating appliance with a mobile double-coil inductor

An induction heating appliance designed to uniformly heat up metallic plates is studied in this paper. It consists of one planar inductor with two concentric coils attached to a mechanism, which allows moving the inductor under the plate while heating. This system is a possible solution for the growing concept of flexible induction cooking hobs, improving their performance in flexibility and in thermal distribution in the pans. With different combinations of motion and the selective activation of the inductor coils, any pan can be uniformly heated regardless its size or position on the hob. In this paper, we develop a thermal model to analyze the temperature distribution obtained in the pans for each diameter and strategy used. The model is solved using finite differences, and it is validated with experimental measurements. From the calculations, the best strategy for each pan diameter is obtained

Induction Heating of Two Magnetically Independent Loads With a Single Transmitter

This article introduces the design of a system capable of heating two magnetically independent ferromagnetic loads placed on different horizontal planes, which uses a combination of induction heating and inductive coupling, called inductively coupled heating. The system uses a single primary inductor acting as a transmitter to transfer power to a secondary inductor attached to the bottom load, which is connected electrically with a third inductor that heats the top load. Since power of the whole system is supplied by a simple half-bridge inverter, the ratio of the delivered power to each of the loads, which is critical for cooking results, is entirely dependent on the system's geometry, coil's number of turns, and compensation capacitors. A finite-element model is used to simulate the magnetic fields generated by inductor currents and calculate the impedance matrix. With the impedance, capacitor values and inductors’ number of turns are selected with the objective of achieving a high power ratio between the top and bottom zones, as well as minimizing stress in the electronics. First, a prototype was built to validate the impedance results in the small-signal regime, and then, the full power regime was used to verify power and current simulation

Domestic induction heating system with standard primary inductor for reduced-size and high distance cookware

In this work, a hybrid wireless power transfer system which combines induction heating (IH) and inductive power transfer (IPT) functionalities is proposed to improve the performance of a domestic induction heating application with small loads weakly coupled to distant inductors. Considering the basic single-inductor domestic IH application, the addition of a secondary inductor with series compensation capacitor directly attached to the small ferromagnetic cookware. This inductor allows to adapt the primary inductor to the load size, extending load distance while avoiding increased power losses and stress in electronic components. The extended distance can be used to implement the glassless induction concept, where the ceramic glass of typical cooktops is substituted by the kitchen surface itself. The design of the secondary coil is carried out by means of a combination of Finite Element simulations and electrical simulations. A design process including the housing of the resonant capacitors and the selection of the secondary winding number of turns and cabling is presented. As a result, a prototype is implemented and tested under working conditions up to 1500 W at several distances. Experimental results validate the electrical modelling and simulation. Moreover, thermal results confirm the feasibility of the proposal and validate the adopted strategies for the capacitor housing. IEE

EMI Reduction Via Resonator Coils in Glassless Integrated Domestic Induction Systems

This paper explores the magnetic flux emissions of induction heating systems compared with inductively coupled heating systems. Inductively coupled heating uses a resonator coil attached to the ferromagnetic load in order to improve energy transfer from the appliance to the load. The magnetic flux emissions of both kinds of systems are simulated, and their dependence on coil current and turn number is outlined. The paper focuses on emitted near field, whose measurement and limits are determined by norm. Several prototypes are developed and tested to verify the simulation

Modeling and design of cookware for induction heating technology with balanced electromagnetic and thermal characteristics

Improving the cooking experience of induction-heating users involves, among other factors, an optimized power distribution at the bottom of the cooking vessel. Conventional ferromagnetic cookware presents high efficiency but unequal temperature distribution with flat inductors, which subsequently leads to uneven cooking results. In this work, we propose an alternative to the traditional cookware arrangement by inserting some aluminum pieces in the ferromagnetic bottom of cookware. This arrangement combines the optimal inductive performance of the ferromagnetic iron an the high thermal conductivity of aluminum. The performance of the proposed arrangement is analyzed by means of a multiphysics tool including electromagnetic and heat transfer sub-models which is applied to predict both the equivalent electrical circuit and the temperature distribution in cookware. As a result, a balanced trade-off between efficiency and temperature distribution is evidenced with the proposed solution. Experimental results also corroborates the predictions of the proposed solution. Autho

Analysis and optimization of the efficiency of induction heating applications with litz-wire planar and solenoidal coils

Optimization of the efficiency of an induction heating application is essential in order to improve both reliability and performance. For this purpose, multi-stranded cables with litz structure are often used in induction heating applications. This paper presents an analysis and optimization of the efficiency of induction heating systems focusing on the optimal copper volume of the winding with respect to different constraints. The analysis is based on the concept of a one-strand one-turn coil, which captures the dissipative effects of an induction heating system and reduces the number of variables of the analysis. An expression for the efficiency of the induction heating system is derived. It is found that, with the geometry and the other parameters of the system fixed, efficiency depends on the copper volume of the windings. In order to use this result to optimize the efficiency of an application, volume restrictions, the packing factor and the window utilization factor are also considered. The optimum frequency for an induction heating system is also studied in this work. An experimental verification for both planar and solenoidal cases is also presented

Analysis and Modeling of the Forces Exerted on the Cookware in Induction Heating Applications

We present a semianalytical model for calculating the forces exerted on cookware in domestic induction heating applications. The developed model is based on the Maxwell''s stress tensor and is also based on the existing semianalytic expressions of the electromagnetic fields in planar induction heating systems, which are expressed in terms of Fourier-Bessel series. Taking advantage of the axial symmetry of usual domestic induction heating systems, the flux of the vertical component of the Maxwell''s stress tensor is analytically integrated and the vertical force is obtained. The proposed model captures both eddy currents and magnetization that occurs in typical ferromagnetic cookware. The model is verified by means of two-dimensional Finite Element simulations and also is tested by means of measurements of the change of the weight experimented by cookware due to the forces during the heating process

Multi-Resonant Power Converter for Improved Dual-Frequency Induction Heating

Industrial induction heating is a key manufacturing process due to its benefits in terms of efficiency, cleanliness, and high performance. These has made possible the extension of this technology to a wide range of industries from automotive to aeronautic, domestic or renewable energies. One of the main challenges still present is the design of a high performance and cost-effective process for those induction targets with complex geometries exposed to the magnetic field, being the most representative example the gears present in most mechanical systems. Usually, in order to optimize the heating process, multi-frequency induction heating systems are used, being often expensive and/or difficult to tune and control. The aim of this paper is, consequently, to propose a family of power converters able to supply the inductor system with two simultaneous frequencies in order to improve the heating process of the induction target. The proposed converter takes advantage of a multi-resonant network allowing full control of the output power delivered at each frequency and, at the same time, a compact and cost-effective implementation. The proposed converter is analyzed, designed and implemented, and experimental verification of its operation is provided in this paper