Thermal deformation of the strip during transverse flux induction heating

Transverse flux induction heating (TFH) of metal strip offers high energy efficiency and technological flexibility in combination with lower floor space required and friendliness to environment. Nevertheless, to achieve all the advantages of TFH, a certain number of negative phenomena should be taken into account. The possible deformation of the strip under the thermal expansion effect is one of these phenomena. It can potentially influence stability of the heating processes and lend to dangerous mechanical contacts between the strip and inductor. The results presented in the Paper were achieved hy fundamental analytical investigation of thermal deformation si the strip and proved by 3D numerical calculations. Analytical solution of the thermal deformation problem allowed the display of rite basic regularities of the phenomena. 3D numerical modelling gave an opportunity to investigate the deformation of the strip under the temperature distribution Provided by transverse flux induction heating system. Optimum combination of electromagnetic, thermal and structural models allowed the simulation of the complicated multiphysical process in a very effective way.