Modeling and experimental study of induction heating of moving bronze blocks

Abstract
This paper discusses a new method for electrical heating of moving bronze blocks that are used in a copper anode continuous casting machines. Until recently, the only means of heating has been the use of natural gas burners. This method however is inefficient, noisy, and the waste heat involved is very difficult to manage. An efficient method, using induction heating of a thin ferromagnetic layer bonded to the top of the bronze blocks was proposed to replace the natural gas burners.This method permits an excellent magnetic coupling, and therefore a very efficient transfer of energy into the ferromagnetic layer and then its thermal transfer to the bronze blocks. A specialized software Flux 2D has been used for computer simulation of coupled magneto-dynamic and thermal processes in design and optimization of the induction heating process. A study has been done on different frequencies, coil design and dimensions. A special one-side pancake inductor, using a magnetic field concentrator, was used to test the proposed method. This inductor showed very good electrical and mechanical performances.