Experimental evaluation of dynamic load changes in flexible induction heating appliances

Adaptable cooking surfaces are at the forefront of design trends because of the many advantages offered to users. These improvements and advantages have their counterpart in the increased design challenges related to inductors and power electronics. Shifts in the relative position between the pan and the inductor may cause the inductor to be totally or partially uncovered, leading to changes in the power converter operation. Currents and power losses can reach unacceptable levels and even damage the power converter. Experimental measurements have been realized to characterize the problem when using different materials and switching frequencies. A Matlab-GUI based interface has been designed to help the analysis of results. Static and dynamic simulation results are shown and an experimental verification has been performed. As a result, the proposed tool proves to be an effective method to analyze and improve the power converter operation under induction load variations.