NUMERICAL AND EXPERIMENTAL INVESTIGATIONS INTO TRANSVERSE FLUX INDUCTION-HEATING

Induction heating of flat metal products can be carried out using the magnetic transverse flux or the longitudinal flux. Transverse flux ind uction heating offers advantages particularly in the case of thin stri p material. A program package is described, which enables the numerica l simulation of the current and temperature distributions in transvers e flux induction heating arrangements, to investigate the physical cor relations. The calculation methods for the current distribution are ba sed on the boundary element method (BEM) and those for the temperature distribution on the finite difference method (FDM). Taking into accou nt the installation-specific symmetries, the calculations can be carri ed out on generally available computers like PC or workstations. The n umerical modeling and the evaluation of the results are presented usin g an industrial pilot plant as an example. A transverse flux laborator y model is used for the experimental verification of the electromagnet ic (EM) calculation method. The temperature distribution in the strip during the passage through the industrial pilot plant is recorded with the aid of an infrared measuring system and compared with the calcula tion results.