Induction Furnace Stainless Steel

All kinds of induction furnaces, whether they are core induction furnaces or coreless induction melting furnace, regardless of power frequency, intermediate frequency, or high frequency, their basic circuits are composed of variable frequency power supply, capacitors, induction coils and metal furnace materials in the crucible.

Induction furnace stainless Steel are used for melting steel, copper, aluminum and precious metals. Coreless induction furnaces are more used for steelmaking.

Compared to most other methods of melting metals, induction furnaces have the advantage of being clean, energy-efficient and a well-controlled melting process that reduces polluting emissions.

Working Principle

The principle of induction furnace stainless steel

An induction furnace consists of an insulated crucible containing the metal to be melted, surrounded by a ring of copper wire. A strong alternating current flows through the wire. The coil produces a rapidly opposing magnetic field that penetrates metal. The magnetic field induces eddy currents in the metal through electromagnetic induction, that is, circular currents. Eddy currents flow through the resistance of the bulk metal, heating it through Joule heating.

In ferromagnetic materials such as iron, the material may also be heated due to hysteresis. Once melted, the vortex causes vigorous agitation of the melt, ensuring good mixing of the charge.

Features

One advantage of induction heating is that the heat is generated inside the charge of the furnace, rather than by burning fuel or other external heat source. Therefore, part of the pollution emission will be reduced.

Operating frequencies range from mains frequency (50 or 60 Hz) to 400 kHz or higher, usually depending on the material being melted, the capacity (volume) of the furnace and the desired melting rate. In general, the smaller the melt volume, the more frequently the furnace will be used; 

This is because skin depth is a measure of how far an alternating current can penetrate the surface of a conductor. For the same conductivity, higher frequencies have a shallower skin depth, ie less penetration into the melt. Lower frequencies create agitation or turbulence in the metal.

A preheated one-ton furnace of molten iron can melt cold charges ready for tapping within an hour. Power sources range from 10 kW to 42 MW and melt sizes range from 20 kg to 65 tonnes of metal respectively.

An operating induction furnace will often hum or whine (due to fluctuating magnetic forces and magnetostriction), the pitch of which can be used by the operator to determine if the furnace is functioning properly or at what power level.

The above is about the principle and characteristics of induction furnace stainless steel.

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