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InductionfurnaceWikipedia,thefreeencyclopedia

Inductionfurnace
FromWikipedia,thefreeencyclopedia

Aninductionfurnaceisanelectricalfurnaceinwhichtheheatisappliedbyinductionheatingof
metal.[1][2][3]Inductionfurnacecapacitiesrangefromlessthanonekilogramtoonehundredtonnes
capacityandareusedtomeltironandsteel,copper,aluminiumandpreciousmetals.
Theadvantageoftheinductionfurnaceisaclean,energyefficientandwellcontrollablemeltingprocess
comparedtomostothermeansofmetalmelting.Mostmodernfoundriesusethistypeoffurnace,and
nowalsomoreironfoundriesarereplacingcupolaswithinductionfurnacestomeltcastiron,asthe
formeremitlotsofdustandotherpollutants.[4]
Sincenoarcorcombustionisused,thetemperatureofthematerialisnohigherthanrequiredtomeltit
thiscanpreventlossofvaluablealloyingelements.[5]Theonemajordrawbacktoinductionfurnace
usageinafoundryisthelackofrefiningcapacitychargematerialsmustbecleanofoxidationproducts
andofaknowncompositionandsomealloyingelementsmaybelostduetooxidation(andmustbere
addedtothemelt).

Contents
1
2
3
4
5
6

Types
Operation
Seealso
References
Furtherreading
Externallinks

Types
Inthecorelesstype,[6]metalisplacedinacruciblesurroundedbyawatercooledalternatingcurrent
solenoidcoil.Achanneltypeinductionfurnacehasaloopofmoltenmetal,whichformsasingleturn
secondarywindingthroughanironcore.[7][8]

Operation
Aninductionfurnaceconsistsofanonconductivecrucibleholdingthechargeofmetaltobemelted,
surroundedbyacoilofcopperwire.Apowerfulalternatingcurrentflowsthroughthewire.Thecoil
createsarapidlyreversingmagneticfieldthatpenetratesthemetal.Themagneticfieldinduceseddy
currents,circularelectriccurrents,insidethemetal,byelectromagneticinduction.[9]Theeddycurrents,
flowingthroughtheelectricalresistanceofthebulkmetal,heatitbyJouleheating.Inferromagnetic
materialslikeiron,thematerialmayalsobeheatedbymagnetichysteresis,thereversalofthemolecular
magneticdipolesinthemetal.Oncemelted,theeddycurrentscausevigorousstirringofthemelt,
assuringgoodmixing.Anadvantageofinductionheatingisthattheheatisgeneratedwithinthe
furnace'schargeitselfratherthanappliedbyaburningfuelorotherexternalheatsource,whichcanbe
importantinapplicationswherecontaminationisanissue.
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Operatingfrequenciesrangefromutilityfrequency(50or60Hz)
to400kHzorhigher,usuallydependingonthematerialbeing
melted,thecapacity(volume)ofthefurnaceandthemelting
speedrequired.Generally,thesmallerthevolumeofthemelts,
thehigherthefrequencyofthefurnaceusedthisisduetothe
skindepthwhichisameasureofthedistanceanalternating
currentcanpenetratebeneaththesurfaceofaconductor.Forthe
sameconductivity,thehigherfrequencieshaveashallowskin
depththatislesspenetrationintothemelt.Lowerfrequencies
cangeneratestirringorturbulenceinthemetal.
Apreheated,onetonnefurnacemeltingironcanmeltcold
chargetotappingreadinesswithinanhour.Powersuppliesrange
from10kWto42MW,withmeltsizesof20kgto65tonnesof
metalrespectively.[10]
Anoperatinginductionfurnaceusuallyemitsahumorwhine
(duetofluctuatingmagneticforcesandmagnetostriction),the
pitchofwhichcanbeusedbyoperatorstoidentifywhetherthe
furnaceisoperatingcorrectlyoratwhatpowerlevel.

1Melt
2watercooledcoil
3yokes
4crucible

Seealso
Electricarcfurnaceforanothertypeofelectricfurnace,usedinlargerfoundriesandminimill
steelmakingoperations

References
1.Laughton,M.A.Warne,D.F.(2002).ElectricalEngineer'sReferenceBook,16thEd.Newnes.pp.1719.
ISBN0080523544.
2.Campbell,FlakeC.(2013).MetalsFabrication:UnderstandingtheBasics.ASMInternational.pp.6365.
ISBN162708018X.
3.Bauccio,Michael(1993).ASMMetalsReferenceBook,3rdEd.AmericanSocietyforMetals.p.50.
ISBN0871704781.
4."Technicalbasicsandapplicationsofinductionfurnaces".
5.PhillipF.Ostwald,JairoMuoz,ManufacturingProcessesandSystems(9thEdition),JohnWiley&Sons,
1997ISBN9780471047414page48
6.Robiette,AG(1935)."V:CorelessInductionFurnaces".ElectricMeltingPractice.CharlesGriffin&Co.
pp.153252.
7.Robiette1935"ChapterIV:ChannelTypeor'LowFrequency'InductionFurnaces",pp.153252
8.InductionandDielectricHeating.ElectricityandProductivitySeries,N6.BritishElectricalDevelopment
Association.1962.pp.89.
9.Bhattacharya,S.K.(2009).FundamentalsOfPowerElectronics.VikasPublishingHousePvt.pp.142143.
ISBN8125918531.
10.http://www.abpinduction.com/de/info/ueberabp/aktuelles/artikel/tiscotaiyuan2x30tinductionfurnace
systemwith24mwsuccessfullycommissioned/

Furtherreading
FosecoFerrousFoundryman'sHandbook,Elsevier,2000.
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Externallinks
"HowInductionFurnaceAreMakingItHotForTheAxis"(http://books.google.com/books?id=w
CcDAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA118#v=twopage&q&f=true),PopularScience,November1943.
Detailedarticleonthebasicswithnumerousillustrations
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Categories: Industrialfurnaces Inductionheating
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