Numerical and experimental analysis of an electro-thermal coupled problem for transverse flux induction heating equipment

This paper describes a quasi 3D-FEM electromagnetic and thermal computation of transverse flux inductors used in the metal industry for the continuous heating of metal strips. The coupled steady-state eddy current and thermal problem is solved for the prediction of the temperature distribution in the workpiece, a fundamental step towards the optimum design of the inductors. The computation has been used for the design of a heater for the continuous heat treatment of golden or silver metal strips. The suitability of the method presented here for the optimum design of transverse flux inductors has been confirmed by measurements on a laboratory prototype with thin silver strips workpieces