Compact coil assembly for a vacuum arc remelting system

A vacuum arc remelting system for forming an ingot from an electrode, the vacuum arc remelting system comprising:

• a crucible assembly configured to accommodate the electrode and the ingot;
• a coil assembly arranged about the crucible assembly, the coil assembly comprising a magnetic core and a plurality of coil pairs wrapped around the magnetic core, wherein the coil assembly is operable to generate a rotating magnetic field traveling in a direction from the coil assembly based on an electric current received by each coil of the plurality of coil pairs, wherein each coil pair includes two coils opposedly arranged from one another about the magnetic core;
• a lift mechanism operatively engaged with the coil assembly, the lift mechanism being operable to move the coil assembly along a longitudinal axis of the crucible assembly;
• and
• a lift drive controller configured to adjust a height of the lift mechanism based on a height of an ingot melt to provide the coil assembly at a gap between the electrode and the ingot during remelting.

A vacuum arc remelting system for forming an ingot from an electrode, the vacuum arc remelting system comprising:

• a crucible assembly configured to accommodate the electrode and the ingot;
• an electromagnetic energy source arranged around the crucible assembly and operable to generate a rotating magnetic field, wherein the electromagnetic energy source and the crucible assembly are configured to move relative to one another along a longitudinal axis of the crucible assembly, wherein the electromagnetic energy source is a coil assembly comprising a magnetic core and a plurality of coil pairs wound around the magnetic core, wherein each coil pair includes two coils opposedly arranged from one another about the magnetic core, wherein the plurality of coil pairs includes a first coil pair, a second coil pair, and a third coil pair;
• and
• a coil current controller configured to provide electric current to the plurality of coil pairs to control a direction of the rotating magnetic field generated by the electromagnetic energy source, wherein the direction of the rotating magnetic field generated by a first coil of the first coil pair is different from that of a first coil of the second coil pair second coil and that of a first coil of the third coil pair, wherein the first coil of the first coil pair is arranged between the first coil of the second coil pair and the first coil of the third coil pair,
• wherein the rotating magnetic field is localized to a gap between the electrode and the ingot during remelting.