Flexible cooking zone with 2D mobile inductors in induction hobs

In this paper, we study different solutions of flexible cooking zones for induction hobs. Particularly, we focus on the usage of mobile inductors in two dimensions. The main contribution is the development of a mobile induction system which allows to heat circular pots with any size, in any position, with a homogeneous heat distribution. The good performance of this solution is tested experimentally. We present a theoretical model of the induction heating process which we use to analyze the heat distribution in a pot, and the main parameters of the problem. We also evaluate different heating strategies with a prototype with one double mobile inductor. From the obtained results, we can establish the best activation strategy of the inductor rings and the motion strategy as a function of the size of the heated pot.