Abstract
Induction heating of float metal products has an increasing importance in many applications, because it generates the heat within workpiece itself and provides high power densities and productivity. In this study, the induction heating of a steel plate to simulate the line heating is investigated by means of the Finite Element Analysis of the magnetic field and temperature distribution. A numerical model is used to calculate temperature distribution within the steel plate during the induction heating with a specially designed inductor. The effects of materital properties depending on the temperature and magnetic field are taken into consideration in an iterative manner. The simulation results show good magnetic field with experimental data and provide good understanding of the process. Since the numerical model demonstrates to be suitable for analysis of induction heating process, the effects of air gap and frequency on magnetic-flux and power-density distribution are also investigated. It is revealed that these process parameters have an important roles on the electro-magnetic field and power-density distribution governing the temperature distribution of the plate.
