Journal of Materials Processing Technology 153154 (2004) 386391

Computer simulation of the thermal regime of double-loop channel induction furnaces

J.I. Ghojel, R.N. Ibrahim
Department of Mechanical Engineering, Monash University, Cauleld Campus, 900 Dandenong Road, Cauleld Estate, Vic. 3143, Melbourne, Australia

Abstract Double-channel induction furnaces are used extensively in many processing industries due, mainly, to their relatively low operating costs. However, thermal stresses in the refractory lining caused by high temperatures during the loading cycle can cause erosion of the lining and premature inductor failure. Prevention of premature failure by close monitoring of the thermal regime of the inductor is very important to operators and relatively simple and reliable tools need to be developed to this end. The present work is related to the development of such a tool using a thermal modelling software and unidirectional axial channel ow speeds of the melt that are estimated from analysis based on the rst-law of thermodynamics. This analysis reduces the cost, complications and uncertainties associated with coupled multiple eld analysis approach. The results of the analysis show reasonable correlation with reported ow data and a comprehensive set of scenarios can be devised on the basis of the developed approach to simulate start-up, transient operation and steady state operation of double-channel induction furnaces. 2004 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
Keywords: Computer; Simulation; Channel; Induction; Furnace

1. Introduction Twin-channel induction furnaces are used extensively for melting and holding metals and alloys in many processing industries. This is due to their high overall efciency, good degassing and homogenisation of the melt, low oxide and slag formation and low energy cost (as result of the potential to use preferential electricity rates). A schematic diagram of an induction furnace is shown in Fig. 1. Alternating current in the primary coil wound around two sides of a continuous iron or steel core induces large current densities in the molten metal in the channels which form single-turn secondary coils. The currents induced in the channels heat the metal in the inductor, which in its turn mixes via the side channels with the metal held in the melting or holding pot. The relatively colder metal ows back to the inductor through the central channel. Large pots are normally designed with several channel induction heaters in order to meet their high melt rates. It is generally accepted that the function of the primary coil is to induce large electric current densities in the channels and heat the metal (Joule heating). The electromagnetic
Corresponding author. Tel.: +61-3-9903-2846; fax: +61-3-9903-2766. E-mail addresses: jamil.ghojel@eng.monash.edu.au (J.I. Ghojel), raafat.ibrahim@eng.monash.edu.au (R.N. Ibrahim). 0924-0136/$ see front matter 2004 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved. doi:10.1016/j.jmatprotec.2004.04.123

eld in the system acts primarily in the planes perpendicular to the axes of the channels and no signicant axial ows, resulting from electromagnetic forces, along the channels axes are detected [1,2]. The ow in the cross-sectional areas of the channels exhibit double-vortex ow pattern resulting from the interaction of the stray primary magnetic eld and the magnetic eld of the induced current in the melt loops [3]. Since relatively vigorous mass and heat transfer from the channels to the main pot is essential to maintain the temperature of the bulk of the metal in the pot, there must be signicant axial ows in the side channels. This is despite the fact that the axial ow velocities that are observed by computation or measurement tend to be small and appear to have random up and down pattern [2,46]. This leaves thermal buoyancy forces as the main cause of axial ow. Heat conduction is believed to be caused by turbulent conduction across the channels resulting from the strong mixing of the melt by the electromagnetic forces and the convective heat transfer along the axes of the channels caused by thermal buoyancy. It is evident from above that the 3D-coupled physical phenomena involved in the function of channel induction furnaces are not fully understood, and experimental investigations using cold mercury or Woods metal are inadequate and unrealistic. The present work is an attempt to develop

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Fig. 2. Single eld sequential thermal analysis scheme. Fig. 1. Schematic diagram of AJAX twin-channel inductor and pot combination.

simple ow hypothesis based on rst-law and thermal analysis of a generic 3D inductor model using general purpose thermal analysis software. This analysis is useful for engineering purposes where most of the downtime faced by operators is related to the deterioration of the refractory component of the inductor as a result of thermal related problems, particularly during loading of the melt pot.

a general purpose thermal analysis software is used for the investigation of the temperature eld in the inductor. The software is SINDA/G and its graphical modeller SINDA/3D. SINDA/G is a nite difference code based on the lumped parameter modelling technique and allows FORTRAN code to be mixed with its own commands for better user control of boundary conditions. The graphical modeller can be used as 3D interactive pre- and post-processor (Fig. 2). 2.2. The model Fig. 3 shows one-half of the refractory part of the system as generated by the graphical modeller. Due to its symmetry, only one-quarter of the model is solved. 2.3. Input data

2. Thermal modelling 2.1. The software The channel induction furnace is a good example of coupled eld engineering system, which explains its complexity and the difculty in predicting the behaviour of the molten metal under normal and abnormal operating conditions. In induction furnaces, electrical, electromagnetic, uid ow, gravitational and heat transfer phenomena are continuously interacting in a non-linear fashion. Computer modelling of such a system will ideally require direct coupling of all these phenomena, preferably in a single software package. However, this is still impractical for the following reasons: 1. There are no software packages to date capable of simultaneously coupling all the above-mentioned physical phenomena. One of the better known packages can couple two or three elds such as electromagnetic-thermal to predict Joule heating or uidelectromagnetic to simulate induction stirring. 2. Modelling of coupled phenomena is inefcientcomputing time could be very long. 3. High software cost. 4. Modellers of high level of skill in different elds are required. For engineering purposes it might be adequate to model using a single eld package (thermal analysis package) with carefully selected boundary conditions. For the current work

The input data required for the thermal analysis include the material properties (thermal conductivity, specic heat, density and resistivity, the latter being required only if the load is given as current density). The boundary conditions (heat losses to the surroundings), input heat rate and mass transport (ow speed) of the molten metal in the channels. Material properties can be found from published data and can be constant, temperature-dependent or dependent on temperature difference. In this investigation, the properties were taken constant. The heat losses to the surroundings include both convection and radiation heat transfer from the outside surfaces to the surroundings at ambient temperature and from the inner surfaces of the duct of the coiliron core assembly to the air or water provided to cool the coils. The estimation of the input heat and mass transport are more problematic and the approach used in this investigation is outlined below. 2.3.1. Mass transport Electromagnetic forces act mainly in the plane perpendicular to the axes of the central and side channels. These forces do not seem to have a bearing on the unidirectional ow of the melt in the direction of the axes of the channels; however, they may contribute to the pinching and cavitation

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Fig. 3. Inductor model showing the sectioned refractory (a) and the molten metal (b).

in the channels. The circulatory motion caused by these forces could also cause erosion damage of the lining by the combined action of melt motion and chemical reaction between the lining material and the melt. Estimates of unidirectional ow speed of the melt have been made by mathematical modelling, physical modelling and computer modelling, but these have been mainly for small scale systems with low energy inputs. Therefore, there is little data available for use in three-dimensional computer modelling of practical inductors. The approach used in this investigation was based on simple rst-law analysis of steady state steady ow (SSSF) process as shown in Fig. 4 and Eq. (1) m i hi + = Ci2 + gZi + 2 Ei Ee (1)

small, and since the elevations at the entrance and exit are the same, the equation is reduced to
3 + 2cp TCe Ce

Q =0 Ae

(2)

m e he +

2 Ce + gZe + 2

where subscripts i and e denote inlet and exit conditions for the control volume. Assuming the inlet velocity at the entrance to the gently narrowing central channel is very

Fig. 4. SSSF schematic of twin-channel inductor.

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Fig. 5. Mass transport as a function of input heat Q and temperature difference T.

Fig. 6. Mass transport as a function of input heat Q and temperature difference T.

where Ce is the ow velocity out of the side channels (m/s), cp the specic heat at constant pressure of the melt (J/kg K), T the temperature increase between the inlet to the central channel and exit from the side channels ( C), Q the net rate of energy input into the system (W), Ae the cross-sectional area of the side channel (m2 ), the density of the melt (kg/m3 ). The relationship between Ce , Q, and T can be simplied by solving Eq. (2) for a given inductor and melt and at different values of T. This relationship is approximated by Eq. (3) and shown in Fig. 5. Ce = k Q T (3)

to estimate the heat input into the molten metal. Analysis shows that for an assumption of electrical current ratio of 2:1 between the central channel and any of the side channels the volume heat input is almost the same for all channels with the heat input being dependent on the volume of each channel. In the generic model investigated in this study the molten metal was taken as pure zinc and the refractory as alumina. An electrical input energy of 400 kW and a thermal efciency of 75% were assumed. The corresponding ow velocity in the side channel for a net heat input of 300 kW and temperature increase of 50 C from the central channel to the side channel was estimated to be about 0.267 m/s (Fig. 5).

where k is the constant for a given system and is dependent on the geometry of the inductor side channel and properties of the melt. Eq. (3) indicates that the mass transport is directly proportional to the input heat and inversely to the temperature difference and this correlation is generally supported by experiments. Fig. 5 shows that for a given T, Ce changes linearly with Q and the temperature gradient changes from 50 to 10 C, at constant Q and accompanied with a ve-fold increase in the ow velocity in the side channel. Research in the laboratories of the German industrial group ABB indicates a four-fold velocity increase for the same temperature range in a 1500 kW TCIF for aluminium [7]. The lower curve represent data published by Vives and Rocou [2]. This data relate to actual measurements of ow rate in a four-tenth stainless steel model of a 1300 kW inductor unit using cold mercury. Data presented by Drewak and Muhlbauer [4] for a low load case, relating to a stainless steel model lled with Woods metal are shown in Fig. 6. This gure is the same as Fig. 5 with x and y-axis scales reduced to 20 kW and 0.1 m/s, respectively. These data and the ABB data [7] referred to earlier can be considered to be showing reasonable correlation between the predicted and observed ow velocities. 2.3.2. Input heat The electrical energy input and the thermal efciency (electrical to Joule heating conversion efciency) are needed

3. Computer simulation The following scenarios were considered for this study: start-up, high mass transport with and without a thermostat and low mass transport without a thermostat. 3.1. Start-up For this scenario, it was assumed that the system was rst conditioned by heating it uniformly to 100 C then allowing the molten metal in the inductor at a temperature of 50 C above the melting temperature to cool down to a temperature

Fig. 7. Temperaturetime histories with a thermostat (uctuating lines) and without (solid lines) under transient operating conditions.

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Fig. 8. Temperature contours in the inductor without a thermostat.

Fig. 9. Temperature contours in the inductor with a thermostat.

slightly above the melting temperature. This was then taken as the starting point for all subsequent simulations. Other start-up scenarios are also possible with proper assumptions. 3.2. Low mass transport Fig. 7 show the temperaturetime histories at the centre nodes in the central and side channels under transient operating conditions with and without a thermostat. The ow velocity at the side channel in this case was taken to be equal to 0.267 m/s. Without a thermostat (smooth lines), the temperature tends to increase continuously with continuous heat addition with a higher increase rate in the side channel. However, in a typical operation of a channel induction furnace, the temperature of the melt will be maintained at a temperature slightly above the melting temperature with a closed loop control system (uctuating lines). The tem-

perature of the melt in the central channel is maintained, in this case, by the software within the range of 715720 C with an on/off thermostat system. Under these conditions the temperature difference between the side and central channels approaches 80 C compared with the predicted 50 C by rst-law analysis.

Fig. 10. Effect of mass transport on channel temperatures.

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Figs. 8 and 9 show the temperature contours in the inductor without and with a thermostat. These results show that the molten metal is heated continuously as it moves from the central channel to the side channels with the maximum temperature being reached at the exit from the side channels. The metal jet is then quenched as it interacts with the metal in the upper chamber. 3.3. High mass transport The temperature contours for this case looks similar to those for low ow speed in Fig. 8 with lower peak temperature. Fig. 10 shows the temperaturetime histories at the centre nodes in the central and side channels under transient operating conditions and constant input heat for three mass transport cases: low (0.236 m/s), intermediate (0.42 m/s) and high (0.69 m/s) ow speeds. The temperature at the central node of the side channel increases with decreasing ow speed as a result of increased residence time, while the temperature at the centre node of the central channel remains almost unchanged. This indicates that mass transport plays a critical role in determining the temperature regime of the inductor and further research is required to quantify the optimum ow speed value for a particular design if durability issues of inductors are to be addressed.

software packages. The method developed can be used for different inductor sizes and different metals, both ferrous and non-ferrous. Improvement can be made to the method by improving the assumptions when data of temperature measurements in actual inductors become available. Further work, both experimental and analytical, is required to quantify the ow speed in channel inductors and correlate that with the input energy and temperature regime in the inductor. As it stands the model is adequate for use by inductor designers and users to predict the temperature regime of the inductor under different loading regimes and use that to prevent premature inductor failure. References
[1] A. Moros, J.C.R. Hunt, Recirculating ows in the cross-section of a channel induction furnace, Int. J. Heat Mass Transf. 31 (7) (1988) 14971515. [2] C. Vives, R. Rocou, Magnetohydrodynamic ows in a channelinduction furnace, Metall. Trans. B 22B (1991) 193. [3] R. Drewak, A. Jakovich, A.A. Muhlbauer, B. Nacke, Experimental and numerical investigations of the melt ow in channel-induction furnaces, Magnitnaya Gidrodinamika (Magnetohydrodynamics) 32 (4) (1996) 433443. [4] R. Drewak, A. Muhlbauer, Controlling heat transfer in a channelinduction furnace, in: Advances in Engineering Heat Transfer, Proceedings of the Second Baltic Heat Transfer Conference, Computational Mechanics Publications, Southampton, UK, 1995, pp. 451 460. [5] A. Bojarevics, V. Bojarevics, Yu. Gelfgat, K. Pericleous, Liquid metal turbulent ow dynamics in a cylindrical container with free surface: experiment and numerical analysis, 35 (3) (1999) 258277. [6] C. Zhao, Y. Fautrelle, Turbulent uid ow in induction furnaces, in: J. Szekely, et al. (Eds.), Magnetohydrodynamics in Process Metallurgy, The Minerals, Metals and Materials Society, 1991. [7] F. Hegewaldt, H. Wicker, Optimising channel inductors, mathematical modelling in electromagnetism, in: Proceedings of the International Seminar, Leningrad, 1924 June, 1989.

4. Conclusions Estimates of the ow speed from the exit of the side channels from rst-law analysis seem to correlate reasonably well with the experimental and analytical published data. These data, with appropriate boundary condition assumptions can be used to simulate various operating conditions of inductors using dedicated thermal analysis