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

Abstract

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.