Induction heating device
AssigneeAktiebolaget Skf
InventorsAlberto Javier Herrera Caballero, Ton Ramaker, Dave Spitzer
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Abstract
An induction heating device for heating a metal article includes a support plate with an upper surface for receiving the metal article, and a plurality of induction coils, which are arranged concentrically around an axis and are provided at an underside of the support plate. Each induction coil is connected to and selectively powered by a generator, and at least one temperature probe is disposable on the metal article during heating in order to monitor and control the heating of the article.
Claims10
A method of heating a metal article with an induction heating device, the method comprising the steps of:
- providing an induction heater including a support plate, a plurality of induction coils arranged concentrically about an axis and disposed beneath an underside of the support plate, each induction coil being connected to and selectively powered by a generator, at least one control unit, and at least one temperature probe disposable upon the metal article;
- placing the metal article on an upper surface of the plate and the at least one temperature probe on the article;
- wherein the at least one control unit:
- estimates the position of the metal article on the upper surface of the plate and at least one dimensional characteristic of the article;
- determines an initial heating strategy including which of the coils to be operated and the power level of each of the coils being operated to bring the article to a desired target temperature;
- operates the heater according to the initial heating strategy;
- uses measurements from the at least one temperature probe to adjust the at least one estimated dimensional characteristic of the article, to measure the delay by which the measured temperature changes and to analyze the rate of change of the temperature to determine how much the temperature of the article will continue to rise once heating is stopped;
- and;
- runs a heating cycle so as to heat the article to the desired temperature.
An induction heating device for heating a metal article, the device comprising:
- a support plate with an upper surface for receiving the metal article and an underside;
- a plurality of induction coils arranged concentrically about an axis and disposed beneath the underside of the support plate, each induction coil being connected to and selectively powered by a generator;
- an alternating current generator electrically connected with each one of the plurality of induction coils and configured to supply electric power to each induction coil;
- at least one temperature probe disposable upon the metal article during heating and configured to measure temperature of the article;
- and
- a control unit electrically connected with the at least one temperature probe and with the generator and configured to operate the generator to selectively power the induction coils, to determine the load on each one of the coils when each coil is being powered, to estimate at least one dimensional characteristic of the article, and to determine a heating strategy for operating the induction coils to increase the temperature of the article to about a target temperature, the heating strategy being based at least partly upon the at least one estimated dimensional characteristic.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.