Inductor design for channel induction furnaces

With the acceleration of industrialization, energy efficiency and process control have become increasingly important. In the metallurgy sector, where high-temperature processes such as melting and alloying are required, reducing energy loss, shortening process time, and improving product quality are of great significance. Induction heating, which provides contactless and rapid energy transfer, is widely used for this purpose. Induction furnaces generate eddy currents in metals through a magnetic field created by high-frequency alternating current. These currents convert into resistive heat, melting the material in a short time. Thanks to its advantages such as rapid heating, low energy loss, and a clean working environment, induction heating has become widespread in the processing of non-ferrous metals like aluminum, copper, and zinc. For the production of wire rod with very low oxygen content (≤20 ppm), the upward casting method is preferred. In this method, electrolytic copper cathodes with 99.97% purity are melted in a channel-type induction furnace to produce copper wire rod. The design of the inductor involves not only electromagnetic principles but also aspects such as heat transfer, cooling engineering, and core geometry. Parameters like the number of turns, tube diameter, voltage, and current are determined by considering a frequency range of 20-60 Hz and power range of 400-600 kW. In this thesis study, the inductor-ring chassis system, which is one of the key components of the channel-type induction furnace used in oxygen-free copper wire rod production, was designed. For a system with an annual production capacity of 4000 tons, the required furnace power was first determined, followed by the power calculations of the inductor capable of meeting this demand. After the power calculations, the copper ring was dimensioned and the supporting chassis structure was designed. As a result of the calculations, the inductor power was estimated to be 160 kW.