Magnetic Flux Controllers in Induction Heating and Melting
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ASM Handbook, Volume 4C, Induction Heating and Heat Treatment Copyright # 2014 ASM InternationalW V. Rudnev and G.E. Totten, editors All rights reserved www.asminternational.org Magnetic Flux Controllers in Induction Heating and Melting Robert Goldstein, Fluxtrol, Inc. MAGNETIC FLUX CONTROLLERS are workpiece. For both cases, there are three closed is applied, it strongly reduces the reluctance of materials other than the copper coil that are used loops: flow of current in the coil, flow of mag- the back path for the magnetic flux (Ref 3). All in induction systems to alter the flow of the mag- netic flux, and flow of current in the workpiece. induction heating systems can be described in netic field. Magnetic flux controllers used in In most cases, the difference between induc- this way. power supplying components are not considered tion heating applications and transformers is that The benefits of a magnetic flux concentrator in this article. the magnetic circuit is open. The magnetic field on the electrical parameters for a given applica- Magnetic flux controllers have been in exis- path includes not only the area with the control- tion depends on the ratio of the reluctance of tence since the development of the induction ler, but also the workpiece surface layer and the the back path for magnetic flux to the overall technique. Michael Faraday used two coils of air between the surface and controller, which reluctance in the system. It is also possible to wire wrapped around an iron core in his experi- cannot be changed. Therefore, the reluctance of break down basic system components into sub- ments that led to Faraday’s law of electromagnetic the magnetic path only partially depends on the components to determine the most economical induction, which states that the electromotive magnetic permeability of the controller (Ref 3). use of magnetic flux controllers in a given appli- force (emf) induced in a circuit is directly propor- Reluctance is a term used in magnetics analo- cation. Other benefits of magnetic flux control- tional to the time rate of change of the magnetic gous to resistance in electricity. lers, such as shielding areas from heating, can flux through the circuit. After the development Figure 1 shows a diagram of the magnetic also be understood by describing induction sys- of the induction principle, magnetic flux control- circuit for a single-turn induction coil with a tems in this manner. lers, in the form of stacks of laminated steel, found magnetic flux concentrator heating a cylindrical widespread use in the development of transfor- workpiece from the outside. The magnetic flux mers for more efficient transmission of energy in the system is equal to the ampere turns of (Ref 1, 2). the coil divided by the reluctance of the magnetic Role of Magnetic Flux Controllers Magnetic cores gained widespread use in the circuit. The reluctance of the magnetic circuit in Induction Systems transformer industry because they increased consists of three basic components: the back path the amount of magnetic flux produced with for magnetic flux, the coupling gap, and the Magnetic flux controllers are powerful tools the same alternating current. The higher the workpiece. When a magnetic flux concentrator in induction heating technology. In general, magnetic flux, the higher the emf, which results two primary reasons to use magnetic flux con- in an increase in energy transfer efficiency from trollers in induction systems are to reduce and the primary winding to the secondary winding. increase magnetic fields in a given region. Similar to transformers, magnetic cores were Reducing magnetic fields is done by using used on early furnaces for induction melting either soft-magnetic materials or electrically (Ref 1, 2). The benefits of magnetic flux control- conductive materials in a closed loop perpen- lers vary depending on the application. For dicular to the flow of the magnetic flux between induction heating, magnetic flux controllers can the coil and the desired lower field area. Soft- provide favorable and unfavorable paths for mag- magnetic materials improve induction coil netic flux to flow, resulting in increased heating in parameters, while highly conductive materials desired areas and reduced the heating in undesir- have a negative effect. Soft-magnetic materials able areas, respectively. Magnetic flux controllers are primarily used to increase magnetic fields. are not used in every induction heating applica- The benefits of using magnetic flux control- tion, but their use has increased (Ref 3, 4). lers in an induction heating system include: Improvement of induction coil and process Magnetic Circuits in Induction efficiency Applications Improvement of coil power factor Reduction in coil current Induction heating applications are similar to Reduction in unintended heating of machine transformers with a short circuited secondary components Fig. 1 Magnetic circuit in a single turn coil with winding. The primary winding of the circuit magnetic flux concentrator heating cylindrical Reduction in undesired heating of areas of is the induction coil and the secondary is the part from the outside: F = total. Source: Ref 3 the workpiece 634 / Equipment Precise control of the magnetic field and efficiency of the system, and are not desirable. Other important properties of soft magnetic resulting heat pattern Therefore, nonmagnetic materials with high materials, such as good saturation flux density, Improvement in efficiency of high-frequency electrical conductivity are preferred for use as stable mechanical properties, low magnetic power supplying circuitry Faraday rings. Copper is the most common losses, chemical resistance, and resistance to Reduction of external magnetic fields in material used, but other materials, such as alu- elevated temperature depend on the application. close proximity to the coil minum, are used due to cost and/or weight Laminations are commonly made of coated considerations. thin sheets of silicon electrical steel with 3 or In most applications, more than one of these 4% silicon. The laminates are cut (by water benefits usually occurs (Ref 3–7). Recently, jet, laser, CNC, and electrical discharge machin- better understanding of the role magnetic flux Soft Magnetic Materials for ing) or stamped to the required shape for use in controllers in induction heating systems has been Magnetic Flux Control induction coils. obtained through comprehensive studies using For induction coils, multiple laminations are computer simulation and experiments, such as Soft magnetic materials most commonly used stacked between mechanical supports called those conducted at Fluxtrol, Inc. Results show in induction systems are laminations and soft keepers (Fig. 3). The large lamination cross that a magnetic flux controller properly used magnetic composites. Soft magnetic ferrites are section is oriented so it is in the plane of the is typically beneficial in an induction heating used occasionally in some high-frequency appli- flow of the magnetic field; intense eddy current system (Ref 3). Magnetic flux controllers play cations. The main requirements are that it should heating occurs if it is not in the plane. different roles in induction heating installations. have a relative magnetic permeability >1 and Lamination thickness varies based on fre- Depending on the application, they are referred should not have a good electrically conductive quency used to limit eddy-current losses from to as concentrators, controllers, diverters, cores, path for strong eddy current generation. the in-plane magnetic field. The lamination coat- impeders, yokes, shunts, and screens. The effects Placing the material in the path of magnetic ing prevents an electrical connection between of controllers in different types of induction heat- flux lowers the reluctance of that part of the individual laminations. In line-frequency appli- ing applications are described here. magnetic circuit. Therefore, it requires less cur- cations, individual laminations are typically rent to drive the magnetic flux through that between 0.020 to 0.040 in. (0.5 to 1 mm) thick. part of the circuit, and a higher percentage of Laminations can be as thin as 0.002 in. in appli- Materials for Magnetic flux flows in the magnetic material than would cations using higher frequencies. Flux Control flow in the same space containing only air. Laminations have very high magnetic perme- However, this positive effect has some limita- ability and saturation flux density. They also Two main categories of materials for mag- tions because the magnetic circuit is almost have high temperature resistance limited pri- netic flux control are electrically conductive always open. marily by the coating. The primary drawbacks materials and magnetic materials. Electrically For the same coil current, workpiece power of laminations are intense heating in 3-D mag- conductive materials typically are used in the increases with increasing concentrator per- netic fields and limited frequency range (up to form of shunts and screens to reduce external meability very fast initially, then approaches about 30 kHz). magnetic fields. the threshold value asymptotically. At the Soft Magnetic Composites consist of a Two main forms of magnetic materials are hard same time, losses in the induction coil often soft-magnetic component (typically iron and and soft. The difference is the amount of flux den- increase slowly with increasing concentrator iron-base alloy powder metal) and a dielectric sity that remains after they are no longer exposed permeability. component (usually an organic polymer binder). to a magnetic field. Hard magnetic materials Computer simulation was used to demon- The soft-magnetic component provides a favor- retain a significant amount of the magnetic field, strate the diminishing positive effect of very able path in which the magnetic field can flow. while soft materials retain almost no magnetic high permeabilities in induction applications. The dielectric component electrically insulates field when the source is turned off. Soft magnetic In a real induction heating application, the mag- magnetic particles from each other to limit eddy materials are used almost exclusively as con- netic permeability of a magnetic flux controller current losses.