Analysis of a new induction thermal converter for heating

The paper presents a new type of electro-thermal converter whose particular applications are used especially in heating materials or residential buildings. The converter is in fact a single-phase transformer with a massif secondary winding, calculated to work in short-circuit but in a stabilized thermal regime. The authors developed a coupled electric-magnetic-thermal numerical model that improved the calculation of power and temperature distribution in the secondary massive coil. Knowledge of local magnetic field intensity gives the possibility to evaluate local current density and volume distribution of electrical power in the material. The model can be used to predict evolution of coil temperature for different charges, secondary coil materials and for different geometrical designs. The equations used for the development of the numerical solutions are presented below, as well as some experimental results and practical applications. (C) 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.