Numerical simulation of induction heating of aluminum alloy billets

Abstract

In this work, a numerical model for induction heating is proposed. The heating process considers only interaction of electromagnetic effects and heat transfer, and is represented by an unsteady heat diffusion equation. The numerical simulation of the process is performed using a finite volume method in which the induction heating is represented by a volumetric heat source term. The heat source term is evaluated analytically using principles based on Faraday's and Biot-Savart laws. The technique is applied to the case of induction heating of a cylindrical A356 aluminum alloy billet. The model predicts magnetic flux density and temperature distribution during the heating process. The effects of process parameters, such as frequency and current density, on the temperature distribution are also studied. The results show that nearly uniform distribution of temperature can be achieved when the billet is heated slowly with low frequency and low supply current density.