A User-Friendly COMSOL Multiphysics® Application to Design a Generic Induction Furnace

Metallurgical process of metal melting requires tremendous amounts of energy. A modern way to optimise the power required is to use an induction furnace. Such furnaces are efficient but more challenging to design and to run than a conventional device.

In order to design an induction furnace and to optimize the charge melting, a COMSOL Multiphysics® application is developed. This application runs a furnace electromagnetic model. The inductor, supplied with an alternative electrical current, creates a variable induction field B. Due to this field, an induced current appears in the melt and in the crucible. Thus, the charge starts to heat up. The input current frequency, the inductor properties and the melt material have a huge impact both on the heat quality and the meshing refinement required by the simulation. This application provides a user-friendly interface to easily set up a furnace configuration. The whole model is fully adaptable to most configurations. From the inductor electric supply circuit to the geometrical air gap size between the inductor and the crucible, most parameters are available to the user within the interface. Then, the mesh adapts itself to consider the specific requirements of the magnetic simulation field. This remeshing step is computed in a completely transparent manner for the user.

Using a 2D axisymmetric formulation, configurations can be solved to quickly provide post processing results based on concrete industrial needs, such as the power distribution in the charge or the global efficiency of the equipment.