Inductor assembly for transverse flux electric induction heat treatment of electrically conductive thin strip material with low electrical resistivity

An inductor assembly for a transverse flux induction heat treatment of a strip material having a nominal electrical resistivity of less than approximately 70.0 nano-ohm a first top coil loop, a second top coil loop and a third top coil loop, each of the first, the second and the third top coil loops comprising:

• a pair of top coil loop pole segments comprising a first top coil loop pole segment and a second top coil loop pole segment, the first top coil loop pole segment and the second top coil loop pole segment each having a first top coil pole segment end and a second top coil pole segment end, the pair of top coil loop pole segments longitudinally disposed substantially perpendicular to a direction in which the strip material travels, the pair of top coil loop pole segments separated by a pole pitch;
• a lateral top coil segment disposed at a first strip channel side, the lateral top coil segment connected between the first top coil pole segment ends of the first top coil loop pole segment and the second top coil loop pole segment comprising the pair of top coil loop pole segments;
• a first bottom coil loop, a second bottom coil loop and a third bottom coil loop, each of the first, the second and the third bottom coil loops comprising:
• a pair of bottom coil loop pole segments comprising a first bottom coil loop pole segment and a second bottom coil loop pole segment, the first bottom coil loop pole segment and the second bottom coil loop pole segment each having a first bottom coil pole segment end and a second bottom coil pole segment end, the pair of bottom coil loop pole segments longitudinally disposed substantially perpendicular to the direction in which the strip material travels, the pair of bottom coil loop pole segments separated by the pole pitch;
• a lateral bottom coil segment disposed at the first strip channel side, the lateral bottom coil segment connected between the first bottom coil pole segment ends of the first bottom coil loop pole segment and the second bottom coil loop pole segment comprising the pair of bottom coil loop pole segments;
• (1) the first, the second and the third top coil loops, and (2) the first, the second and the third bottom coil loops respectively located at the opposing top and bottom of the strip channel through which the strip material travels, the first, the second and the third bottom coil loops respectively arranged mirror image to the first, the second and the third top coil loops;
• a first common inter-pole segment located on a second side of the strip channel, the second side of the strip channel opposite the first side of the strip channel:
• (1) the second top coil pole segment end of the second top coil loop pole segment of the first top coil loop;
• (2) the second top coil pole segment end of the first top coil loop pole segment of the second top coil loop;
• (3) the second bottom coil pole segment end of the second bottom coil loop pole segment of the first bottom coil loop;
• and (4) the second bottom coil pole segment end of the first bottom coil loop pole segment of the second bottom coil loop electrically connected together by the first common inter-pole segment;
• and
• a second common inter-pole segment located on the second side of the strip channel:
• (1) the second top coil pole segment end of the second top coil loop pole segment of the second top coil loop;
• (2) the second top coil pole segment end of the first top coil loop pole segment of the third top coil loop;
• (3) the second bottom coil pole segment end of the second bottom coil loop pole segment of the second bottom coil loop;
• and (4) the second bottom coil pole segment end of the first bottom coil loop pole segment of the third bottom coil loop electrically connected together by the second common inter-pole segment;
• a discrete flux concentrator disposed above and around a first side and a second side of each of the first and second top coil loop pole segments comprising the pair of top coil loop pole segments of the first, the second and the third top coil loops, and each of the first and second bottom coil loop pole segments comprising the pair of bottom coil loop pole segments of the first, the second and the third bottom coil loops;
• a power supply branch conductor having a supply coil loop end and a feeder supply end, the power supply branch conductor disposed adjacently parallel to the first common inter-pole segment and separated from the first common inter-pole segment by a dielectric, the supply coil loop end of the power supply branch circuit connected to the second top coil pole segment end of the first top coil loop pole segment of the first top coil loop and the second bottom coil pole segment end of the first bottom coil loop pole segment of the first bottom coil loop;
• a power supply feeder conductor having a branch supply end and a power source supply end, the power supply feeder conductor connected to the feeder supply end of the power supply branch conductor and disposed substantially perpendicular to the power supply branch conductor, the power source end of the power supply feeder conductor connected to a first source output of a single phase alternating current source;
• a power return branch conductor having a return coil loop end and a feeder return end, the power return branch conductor disposed adjacently parallel to the second common inter-pole segment and separated from the second common inter-pole segment by the dielectric, the return coil loop end of the power supply branch conductor connected to the second top coil pole segment end of the second top coil loop pole segment of the third top coil loop and the second bottom coil pole segment end of the second bottom coil loop pole segment of the third bottom coil loop;
• and
• a power return feeder conductor having a branch return end and a power source return end, the power return feeder conductor connected to the feeder return end of the power return branch conductor and disposed substantially perpendicular to the power return branch conductor, the power source return end of the power supply feeder conductor connected to a second source output of the single phase alternating current source.