Simulation and Experimental Demonstration of a Large-Scale HTS AC Induction Furnace for Practical Design

Preheating for nonferrous metals in industry is realized through induction furnaces with a large capacity at commercial frequency. The energy efficiency of this process is about 50%-60% due to enormous energy loss through the copper coils. An ac induction furnace applying 2G high-temperature superconducting (HTS) magnets has been suggested in order to achieve higher efficiency. The most important factor in this technology is the ability to predict and minimize the ac loss, which is generated in HTS magnets during operation. In this paper, we demonstrate the simulation and experimental results of a large-scale HTS ac induction furnace for practical design. The HTS ac induction furnace was designed and simulated through a finite-element method (FEM) tool and an equivalent circuit model. The inductors were designed by using 2G HTS magnets, with consideration given to the ac loss generated in the magnet. To predict the ac loss of the magnet, the FEM was used, and the results were compared with those of the fabricated HTS magnets. The simulation and experimental results will be applied to fabricate a full-scale HTS ac induction furnace.