Finite‐element analysis of a shielded pulsed‐current induction heater: Experimental validation of a time‐domain thin‐shell approach

Abstract

Purpose

The aim of this paper is the experimental validation of an original time‐domain thin‐shell formulation. The numerical results of a three‐dimensional thin‐shell model are compared with the measurements performed on a heating device at different working frequencies.

Design/methodology/approach

A time‐domain extension of the classical frequency‐domain thin‐shell approach is used for the finite‐element analysis of a shielded pulse‐current induction heater. The time‐domain interface conditions at the shell surface are expressed in terms of the average flux density vector in the shell, as well as in terms of a limited number of higher‐order components.

Findings

A very good agreement between measurements and simulations is observed. A clear advantage of the proposed thin‐shell approach is that the mesh of the computation domain does not depend on the working frequency anymore. It provides a good compromise between computational cost and accuracy. Indeed, adding a sufficient number of induction components, a very high accuracy can be achieved.

Originality/value

The method is based on the coupling of a time‐domain 1D thin‐shell model with a magnetic vector potential formulation via the surface integral term. A limited number of additional unknowns for the magnetic flux density are incorporated on the shell boundary.

Citation

Sabariego, R.V., Sergeant, P., Gyselinck, J., Dular, P., Dupré, L. and Geuzaine, C. (2010), "Finite‐element analysis of a shielded pulsed‐current induction heater: Experimental validation of a time‐domain thin‐shell approach", COMPEL - The international journal for computation and mathematics in electrical and electronic engineering, Vol. 29 No. 6, pp. 1585-1595. https://doi.org/10.1108/03321641011078652