Dual-frequency induction heating for gear hardening: converter, resonant circuit, and FEM modelling

• Published in: IET power electronics Vol. 11; no. 14; pp. 2396 - 2402
• Main Authors: Kierepka, Kamil, Legutko, Piotr, Zimoch, Piotr, Kasprzak, Marcin
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: The Institution of Engineering and Technology 27.11.2018
• Subjects: control scheme; current density; dual‐frequency induction heating; dual‐frequency output current generation; efficiency 96 percent; energy density; finite element analysis; finite element method simulations; gear hardening; gear wheels; gears; hardened elements; induction heating; invertors; magnetic field; mechanical properties; output resonant circuit; power 3 kW; power convertors; Research Article; resonant frequencies; subject frequencies; wheels; wheels; power convertors; magnetic field; energy density; induction heating; dual-frequency output current generation; power 3 kW; current density; finite element method simulations; finite element analysis; gear hardening; mechanical properties; resonant frequencies; invertors; subject frequencies; output resonant circuit; dual-frequency induction heating; efficiency 96 percent; control scheme; hardened elements; gear wheels; gears
• ISSN: 1755-4535; 1755-4543
• DOI: 10.1049/iet-pel.2018.5336

In order to achieve required mechanical properties of hardened elements, such as gear wheels, dual-frequency induction heating may be used. Dual-frequency allows heating only the outline of the gear, due to mixed penetration depth of the subject frequencies. This method of hardening requires the process to be very short as heat may spread by means of conduction. This study presents a 3 kW prototype inverter and its control scheme is used to generate dual-frequency output current. The overall efficiency of the inverter is 96%. An analysis of the output resonant circuit is made to find the resonant frequencies. Finally, circuit and finite element method (FEM) simulations are coupled to analyse the effect of dual-frequency current on the magnetic field, current density, and energy density on the surface of a gear wheel.