Induction heating is an efficient way to quickly heat electrically conductive metals with pinpoint accuracy. It starts very simply, with a coil of conductive material, however initial design and optimization of the process are very complicated—it's hard to predict power, frequency, and heating time to get necessary results.
Computer simulation for induction heating is a powerful tool that enables engineers to investigate or design a physical system and process using a virtual mathematical model, thus saving time and money on numerous physical design iterations.
Induction heating computer simulation offers the most efficient means of developing customized and optimized solutions and is, therefore, a necessity—not a luxury—in the modern induction heating industry. In this article, Dr. Mihails Scepanskis and Dr. Vadims Geza, both of CENOS LLC, based in Riga, Latvia, list features and benefits, obstacles and solutions of induction heating; advantages and disadvantages of computer simulation vs physical testing; what should be taken into account when choosing the right simulation software.
How simulation software can help companies save time and money on induction coil and process design
About Induction Heating
Today induction heating is used in many industrial processes, such as heat treatment in metallurgy, crystal growth and zone refining used in the semiconductor industry, and to melt metals which require very high temperatures.
Where Is Induction Heating Used?
- Automotive
- Construction
- Aerospace
- Metallurgical Plants
- Oil & Gas Component Manufacturing
- Special Applications
Features:
- Heat generation occurs inside the part.
- Heating is contactless—as a result, product warpage, distortion and reject rates are minimized.
- This method can provide very high power densities.
- Heating may be highly selective in the depth and along the surface.
- Any processing atmosphere (air, protective gas, vacuum) can be applied.
- Very high temperatures may be reached.
The general benefits of induction surface heat treatment are
- Short heating times—production rates can be maximized.
- Optimized consistency—induction heating eliminates the inconsistencies and quality issues associated with open flame, torch heating, and other methods.
- Extended fixture life—induction heating delivers heat to very small areas of your part without heating any surrounding parts. This extends the life of the fixturing and mechanical setup.
- Environmentally sound without burning fossil fuels—induction is a clean, non-polluting process. Improves working conditions for employees by eliminating smoke, waste heat, noxious emissions, and loud noise.
- Effective energy consumption—this uniquely energy-efficient process converts up to 90% of the energy expended energy into useful heat; batch furnaces are generally only 45% energy-efficient. Requires no warm-up or cool-down cycle.
- Flexible adaptation to the hardening tasks
- Closed loop computerized process control and compatibility with overall process automation
Obstacles:
- Initial design and optimization of the process is very complicated.
- It is hard to predict power, frequency and heating time to get necessary results.
- Unlike other heating methods, induction heating requires specific coil design for each workpiece, so it's not very economic unless you need to process multiple similar workpieces.
To design and calculate the induction heating process you can:
- Do a rough analytical estimation, then proceed with countless design iterations in the lab.
- Find a professional company that can do induction coil and process design for you, but keep in mind that you most likely will be charged for design hours spent in the lab.
- Buy a sophisticated multi-physics simulation software and hire a trained simulation engineer/analyst or pay for engineer's training (usually takes 3 months).
- Start using a simple, affordable, and induction heating-focused simulation software like CENOS Platform, which features online training and templates for a quick and easy start.
Induction Heating and Computer Simulation
What Is a Computer Simulation?
Nowadays, in various industries, manufacturers prefer using software simulations over physical testing. Computer simulation is a powerful tool that enables engineers and scientists to investigate or design a physical system and/or process using a virtual mathematical model, thus saving time and money on numerous physical design iterations.
The vast majority of modern computer simulation software packages utilize numerical methods (e.g. finite element method or “FEM”) to evaluate extremely complex physical systems—systems that are otherwise impossible to precisely analyze. By leveraging the power of modern computer hardware, simulation software can provide substantial improvements in the efficiency, reliability, and cost-effectiveness in design and development processes.
Computer Simulation in Induction Industry
- First works on computer simulation of induction coils were made in the 1960s. Due to limited access to computers, their low memory, speed, and poor programming methods, the computer simulation did not receive significant industrial application until the 1980s.
- Now computer simulation has become a practical tool for everyday use in the induction industry. It allows the user to design optimal systems, improve equipment performance, dramatically reduce development time and costs, and better understand the process dynamics, etc.
- Though there are still difficulties in an accurate simulation of non-linear and different mutually coupled tasks, computer simulation is effectively used for the design of induction heating coils and problem solution.
Benefits and Value of Induction Heating Computer Simulation
The use of induction heating computer simulation software can promote substantial improvements in the performance and cost-effectiveness of induction heating equipment, in addition to large reductions in the cost and time required to design and develop induction heating processes.
From a design perspective, computer simulation is valuable for a number of reasons, two of the most notable being:
- The physics involved in utilizing electromagnetic induction as a deliberate and controlled source of heat generation is extensive and multi-faceted. Computer simulation provides a quantitative approach to designing and developing induction heating processes, allowing complex physical phenomena that cannot be physically observed and/or measured to be clearly visualized and quantified.
- Because electromagnetic induction offers an extremely effective, economical, and versatile means of heating conductive materials, the scope of induction heating applications is very broad. This includes (but is not limited to):
- Heat treatment (hardening, tempering, normalizing, stress relieving)
- Forming (hot/warm forging, rolling, stamping)
- Joining (welding, brazing, soldering, bonding, shrink fitting)
- Other (curing, coating, crystal growing)
Furthermore, each of these general applications includes countless different workpiece types, geometries, materials, and heating requirements. As a result, no “universal solution” exists in the design of induction heating equipment. Induction heating computer simulation offers the most efficient means of developing customized and optimized solutions and is, therefore, a necessity—not a luxury—in the modern induction heating industry.
Combining Simulation With Real World Tests for the Best Results
Inductor design is one of the most important aspects of the overall induction heating system. A well-designed inductor provides the proper heating pattern for your part and maximizes the efficiency of the power supply, while still allowing easy insertion and removal of the part. With the right design, it's possible to heat conductive materials of any size and form, or only the portion of material required.
Computer Simulation vs Experimental Method
Computer Simulation
Advantages
- Can work for any geometry and operating conditions
- Demonstrates the entire dynamics of the process
- Leaves records for future
- Limitless accuracy of calculations
- Does not require special equipment
- Less expensive and less time-consuming
- Future improvements expected
- Provides 3D process visualization for customers (pictures, video)
Limits and Disadvantages
- Requires special software and databases
- Not all the processes may be simulated (as of today)
- Does not provide physical samples
Experimental Method
Advantages
- May provide the most reliable results
- Can show the performance of the whole system including unexpected effects and troubles
- Does not require a material property database
- Provides physical samples for properties validation
Limits and Disadvantages
- May require expensive equipment
- Does not provide a good understanding of the process
- Difficult to transfer knowledge (to scale a company)
- Case dependent accuracy
- Limited access to production equipment (expensive)
- Time-consuming—may cause production delay due to multiple design iterations.
Challenges in coil design
The induction coil, also known as an "inductor", is essential to induction heating. Single-turn, flexible, multi-turn cylindrical, left-turn, right-turn, rod-shaped, hair-pin, parallel, ear-shaped, tiny, big—whatever the coil shape and size—the right design maximizes the lifetime of the coil and ensures lowest energy consumption and best effects on work process and materials.
Many factors contribute to a coil’s effectiveness: the care taken to make it, the quality of the materials used, its shape, its maintenance, its correct matching with the power source, etc.
Here are just three of the many hurdles to be overcome in order to make safe and efficient coils:
Impedance matching
It is necessary to achieve the correct impedance matching between the coil and the power source in order to use the latter’s full power. The coil designer must also consider that coils need five to ten times as much reactive as active power.
Magnetic flux concentrators
Concentrators focus the current in the coil area facing the workpiece. Without concentrators, much of the magnetic flux may propagate around the coil. This flux could engulf adjacent conductive components. But when concentrated, the flux is restricted to precise areas of the workpiece.
Water flow and speed
It is generally important to achieve an adequate flow of cooling water through the coil. When high power density is expected in the inductor, the coil designer must consider the flow rate and the water’s velocity. This is because velocity significantly influences the heat transfer between inductor and coolant and therefore has a major impact on the longevity of the coil. A booster pump is sometimes needed to maintain the desired flow and velocity. Professional designers will also specify a purity level for the water in order to minimize coil corrosion.
Tools and Processes Necessary To Ensure Coil Longevity and Performance
Advanced induction coil design includes:
- Detailed analysis of specifications, available equipment, and environment
- Coil style and heating process selection (scanning, single-shot, static, etc.)
- 3D design programs and computer simulation for coil head optimization
- Analysis of benefits of magnetic flux controllers application
- Coil engineering (design of coil head, leads, structural components, quenchant supply, etc.)
- Advanced manufacturing techniques, mandrels to achieve tight tolerances
- Testing in a laboratory or industrial plant for performance and final dimensional check
- Final corrections if required
Designing and making induction coils is technically challenging. Computer simulation helps tackle some of the challenges, limiting costs and maximizing effectiveness.
CENOS Platform's mission is to help companies switch from old and cumbersome experimental methods to a powerful computer simulation that is simple, affordable, and induction heating-focused. CENOS, combined with real-world trials, will yield the best results in a fast and cost-effective way.
How To Choose the Right Simulation Software
The induction heating market is small compared to other industrial sectors, and there are only a few specialized simulation packages on the market that can be used for induction process and coil design. Induction heating simulation involves a set of mutually coupled non-linear phenomena. Many induction applications are unique and may require different program modules. In addition to computer simulation software, an extensive material database is necessary for accurate results.
1D, 2D or 3D?
Majority of practical simulations now are being made in 1D or 2D approaches. But with 1D and 2D, the structure and geometry of real induction systems are often very simplified. In reality, a majority of induction systems are 3D. In addition, interference of induction device and source of power must be considered in many cases. That's why 3D will ensure less space for errors and a more thorough analysis.
Cloud vs Desktop
Working with cloud-based software requires uploading your data to the third party. Frequently induction heating equipment manufacturers are not allowed to share their customer CAD files with a third party due to NDA. Furthermore, while cloud computing may provide increased calculation speed, one should consider the time it takes for uploading the design files and downloading the result files.
Importance of training & support (time, costs)
There is a common opinion that simulation software requires a specially educated (and well paid) simulation engineer/analyst, usually hired only for one kind of task—simulation. This is definitely true for sophisticated multi-physics simulation packages, which might require 3 to 4 months of intense training because of a plethora of numerical aspects which should be taken into account in order to get reliable results in a simulation. However, CENOS 3D desktop software keeps focus solely on induction heating and tries to avoid any unnecessary functionality which might confuse an inexperienced user. By using CENOS-dedicated templates, a beginner can run his first induction simulation in just under 30 minutes and become a pro user with any 3D geometry after 2 weeks of training, guided by CENOS engineers.
Cost
Licensing software can cost $20,000 to $80,000 up front plus additional annual payments in 20% value of purchase price just for support and updates. And that's only for an induction heating module, whereas CENOS's annual license is $7,200 and requires no upfront investment. Alternatively, one could consider a “pay as you go” purchase model, paid by hours, but one must keep in mind that 3D calculations take time, which might make this particular subscription model cost inefficient.
Open Source software—a free alternative with some drawbacks
Open source is very cost efficient—open source tools like Elmer or GetDP are free to use. However, these tools might require a long training period (6 to 10 months); plus extra steps and routines required for everyday simulation will take up to 1,000 additional hours a year. Overall, open source tools are a solid choice because they are validated by the community but not focused on user experience.
Benefits:
- Community. Open source solutions often have thriving communities around them, bound by a common drive to support and improve a solution and introduce new concepts and capabilities faster, better, and more effectively than internal teams working on proprietary solutions.
- The power of the crowd. The collective power of a community of talented individuals working in concert delivers not only more ideas but quicker development and troubleshooting when issues arise.
- Transparency. Open source code means just that—you get full visibility into the code base, as well as all discussions about how the community develops features and addresses bugs.
- Reliability. Because there are more eyes on it, the reliability of open source code tends to be superior as well. Code is developed on online forums and guided by experts. The output tends to be extremely robust, tried, and tested. In fact, open source code now powers about 90% of the internet and is being rapidly adopted across major enterprises for this reason.
- Better security. As with reliability, open source software's code is often more secure because it is much more thoroughly reviewed and vetted by the community.
Drawbacks:
- Because there is no requirement to create a commercial product that will sell and generate money, open source software can tend to evolve more in line with developers’ wishes than the needs of the end user. For the same reason, they can be less “user-friendly” and not as easy to use because less attention is paid to developing the user interface.
- There may also be less support available for when things go wrong – open source software tends to rely on its community of users to respond to and fix problems.
- Because of the way it has been developed, open source software can require more technical know-how than commercial proprietary systems, so you may need to put twice as much time and effort into training employees to the level required to use it.
- Many different open source solutions are not compatible with each other. Take for example GetDP - an open source finite element solver, its core algorithm library uses its native pre-processing and post-processing tool Gmsh, which frankly, compared to other solutions, is not the best in its class.
CENOS Makes Open Source User-Friendly and Easy To Use
CENOS Platform uses GetDP solver and offers integration with far more superior open source tools like SALOME for pre-processing and Paraview for post-processing, which by default are not compatible with GetDP.
“CENOS” stands for “Connecting ENgineering Open Source”, highlighting its new software approach: connecting the best of open source tools in one seamless user experience. CENOS platform technology enables affordable simulation available for small to midsize companies by connecting third-party open source algorithms GetDP, Salome, and Paraview, developed by strong academic communities involving world top research centers and universities like Sandia National Lab, Imperial College, KU Leuven, and others. The academic world has already built plenty of smart algorithms; there is no need to charge money for the scientific heritage. Use of free open source algorithms makes it possible for CENOS to be affordable for everyone.
The company has built a user-friendly interaction layer and interconnection between previously incompatible separate open source software algorithms. CENOS Platform consists of a user interface, special data optimization procedures including necessary data reformatting for inter-operational compliance ensuring data flow and control between different open source tools. This way CENOS lets engineers save up to 80% of design time by replacing physical prototyping with powerful simulation software which is affordable and easy to use.
About the Authors: Dr. Mihails Scepanskis is the CEO and co-founder of CENOS LLC, based in Riga, Latvia. Dr. Vadims Geza is the chief scientist at CENOS.
