Induction heating assembly including an interposed closed conductive loop for suppression of intercoil coupling

An induction strip heating assembly having multiple induction coils disposed in coaxial tandem and including at least two coil power sources for generation of first and second inducing currents in the coils, the assembly further including:

• a closed loop of electrically conductive material coaxially interposed relative to the induction coils and disposed for induction therein of a circulating current opposite to a one of the inducing currents whereby a magnetic field of the circulating current in opposition to an inducing magnetic field of the inducing current causes a reduction in net magnetic field strength on a side of the loop opposite of the inducing current for suppression of intercoil magnetic coupling.

An apparatus in combination with a plurality of induction heating coils, each induction heating coil being energized by a separate power supply which is not synchronized with the other power supplies, the apparatus comprising:

• means to decouple a first of said induction heating coils from a second of said induction heating coils, the decoupling means configured to produce circulating currents which are opposite in direction to inducing currents in the first and second coils, the circulating current creating a first magnetic field in opposition to a second magnetic field created by the inducing currents, thereby suppressing intercoil magnetic coupling.